Bundle of Joy: A sequel to Jonathan's Gambit
by Irish Rose1
Summary: It's 1943 and newlyweds Clark and Lois Kent find out that they're unexpectedly expecting. If you thought their courtship was interesting, wait until you see how they handle being expectant parents.
1. Bundle of Joy

**Prologue:**

**September 28, 1943**

"_Honey, why don't you try and get some rest." He suggested as he carefully got up off the bed with the baby. "You and Sam have had a big day and he's already gone back to sleep."_

_She nodded reluctantly and slipped down into the bed, dragging the pillows with her and sighed as her eyes began to close, looking too tired to argue with him. _

_And as she drifted back in to sleep, Clark looked down at his newborn son and smiled. _

oooooo

His baby was sleeping peacefully in the crook of his arm and Clark marveled at the new life he held. It was hard for him to believe that the tiny body he cradled so carefully against his chest had, only hours before, still been inside Lois's and the young father could only imagine what she'd gone through to bring their son into the world.

He couldn't help but smile to himself with the realization that she would more than likely fill him on the details when she deemed it necessary.

"Hi, honey." He looked up to see the smiling face of his mother at the door of Lois's room. "Is it all right if we come in?"

"Sure, Mom." Clark replied quietly, not wanting to wake Lois because she needed her rest. The look on his father in law's face was worried as he followed Clark's own father into the room. "How is she doing?"

"She's fine, Sam; just tired." He explained needlessly because he knew Lois's father had been with her through the long hours while she'd labored to have the baby. "I'm really grateful that you were with her." Clark felt the urgent need to tell him. "Because even if I _had_ been here, I don't know that I would have been as insistent to stay with her as you were, rules being what they are."

"That figures." The sleepy voice of his wife startled him and when he turned to look at her, she was smiling as her eyes slowly opened.

"That's because you weren't a father yet." Sam explained with a shrug. "If there comes the time you have a daughter and _she's_ having a baby when her husband is AWOL-" He grinned. "Then you'll know where you need to be."

"Dad." Came the predictable admonishment and Clark laughed softly because he had the feeling something else was coming. "He wasn't AWOL; he was MIA."

_There it was._

And her soft laughter warmed the new father's heart.

"Let me help you." Sam strode purposely over to the bed and helped Lois as she tried to sit up, all the while piling the pillows up behind her before he let her go and she sat back, sighing. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Dad." She laughed and reached a hand toward the baby. "That kid's wearing me out already."

"Wait until he starts crawling." Mom smiled. "That's when things will get interesting."

Dad shook his head with a chuckle and Clark looked up at him. "What's so funny?"

"_You_, actually." He answered. "When you started to crawl, your mother was so afraid of you taking a header down the stairs, or trying to climb up when she wasn't looking that she asked me if I could figure something out to keep that from happening.

"My father thought I was crazy when I fashioned four small sections of fencing for the top and bottom of each staircase. I sanded them down as fine as I could and painted them so you wouldn't get splinters in your fingers when you tried to pull yourself up."

Clark had a vague memory of those small fences and remembered getting frustrated when he couldn't open them. "Do we still have them?"

"Son, it's going to be awhile before he starts to crawl."

"I know." He nodded and looked down at his yawning son. "I just think it's a good idea."

"Well if it's something that you and Lois want to do, we can make new ones." His father's look was a little sheepish. "I stored the ones I made for you out in the barn when we didn't need them anymore and the damp winters finally got to them."

"I _did_ ask you to store them in the attic." Mom scolded him gently. "And you said, 'Sweetheart, they'll be fine in the barn.'"

Sam tried to muffle a snicker and Clark bent his head and kissed his son's forehead to cover his own amused laugh, but his wife caught it. "Clark."

"I know." He looked up at her and grasped the outstretched hand, kissing her fingers. "I know."

"So are you going to tell us what we have?" His father finally asked. "Is it a grandson or a granddaughter?"

"You have a grandson." Lois' face flushed as she smiled.

"A boy." Lois's father grinned and then he cleared his throat as he suddenly tried to look serious. "Though a girl would have been fine, too. Your mother and I had two and they made us awfully happy."

"Nice save, Dad." She laughed at the look of embarrassment on her father's face.

"_I_ thought so." He reached out for her other hand and held it for a moment. "As long as you're all right, that's what really matters to me."

"And I bet you'll have second thoughts about going through that with me again, won't you?" Lois laughed again.

"If you need me, I'll be there." His look was deadly serious. "Just remember that."

"I'll remember." She nodded and when Clark saw her blink, he was sure she was trying not to cry.

"So, did you finally agree on a name?" Dad asked as Sam's tiny hand wrapped around Clark's finger. "As I recall, you were still trying to decide when you got sent out on assignment."

He and Lois glanced at each other and she shrugged as though to tell him, _'You can tell them.'_

"You're right, we never really did settle on anything before I had to leave. But given what's happened in the last couple of days, it ended up being pretty easy." Clark started and looked down at his son again and brushed his fingers across the downy cheek before he focused his attention on their parents. "We're carrying on the tradition of having Jerome as his middle name, which made his first name make more sense."

"Son, you don't need to do that if you want to name him something else." Dad shook his head with a frown.

"Yes, we do." Lois interjected with a firm look at Clark's father. "Tradition is tradition and every first-born Kent male has the middle name of Jerome. And since he _is_ first-born, that's the way it is."

His father tried not to crack a smile and nodded. "Fair enough. So how does Jerome make the baby's first name make more sense?"

"It was my idea actually. Because in my mind, there was only one name we _could_ give him." He started and with a glance at Lois, she nodded her encouragement before he looked at his father in law and continued. "We decided to name him after _you_. Now I know that you and Dad didn't want us to name him after either of you, but you stayed with my wife during all those hours that the FBI was trying to get a hold of me and get me home. You kept her calm and helped keep her mind off what she was going through. I know how much she loves Mom, but I think it made it more bearable to have you going through it with her."

Clark sat silently, waiting, while the baby shifted in his arms and the General was speechless. His face flushed as he swallowed a couple of times and then unexpectedly, his eyes got teary. Another glance from Lois, her own eyes teary, told him that they'd made the right decision.

"Well, hell-" Was all he managed to say and Lois scolded him.

"Dad."

"What? He can't hear me; he's asleep." He recovered his bluster. "I don't know what to say."

"Thank you _would_ be a start, Sam." Mom chided him gently with a smile before she nodded at the new parents. "That was a very thoughtful gesture."

"Samuel Jerome Kent." Dad smiled with approval. "That's a good strong name."

"Well considering who his grandfathers' are, it _should_ be." Lois commented quietly and Clark turned toward her when he heard her sigh; she looked exhausted.

"I think it's time for us to leave you alone." Mom must have noticed it too because she looked concerned and reached out for Lois' hand. "You get some more rest and we'll come back later."

"Would you like to hold the baby?" She asked them and started to blink; a sure sign she was trying to stay awake.

"When you're better rested." His mother answered as she stepped over to the bed and pressed a kiss to her hair. "We've got plenty of time."

"Get some rest, Lo. You're going to need it." Sam grinned briefly before he kissed her cheek. "I'll call your sister and let her know that she has a nephew."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Thank _you_ for naming Sam after me." He put a hand on her arm. "You've given me an honor I don't deserve."

"And you shouldn't have had to go through all of that, but you did it for me." Lois disagreed with a shake of her head. "I think you _do_ deserve it."

"If you say so." Her father nodded and then stepped back. "We'll be back later."

"You should think about getting a little rest yourself, Clark." His father looked at him with a worried frown. "Why don't you come home with us and let Lois get some sleep."

"No!" Lois objected with wide eyes as she reached for him and their parents looked at her in surprise. "I haven't seen him for nearly a month and he's not going anywhere. If he behaves himself, he can sleep with me."

"Lois." Clark rolled his eyes and felt his face warm.

"What? It's not like we can actually _do _anything."

"Lois!" His voice cracked with embarrassment and she looked puzzled.

"What?" She asked again. "We can't."

"I think that's our cue to leave." Dad grinned. "I think they're about to have their first argument as parents."

"We're not going to argue." Lois disagreed with her father in law. "We're going to sleep."

"What about the baby?" Mom looked concerned. "Should I get the nurse?"

"That's all right, we'll be fine." Her voice held a note of confidence that Clark didn't feel.

"We will?" He looked at her, wondering what she was thinking and frankly, afraid of the answer.

"We're keeping Sam with us." She looked at him. "We'll just cradle him in between us."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" He pressed.

"It's pointless to argue with her, son." Lois' father chuckled. "Once my daughter makes up her mind about something, it's almost impossible to get her to change it."

"I'm finding that out." He glanced at her and she had an eyebrow raised at him as thought to say, _'Well?'_

"We'll let you work this out while we go home and get some breakfast." Clark's mother laughed softly and leaned over to kiss his cheek, then the top of her grandson's head. "Get some rest; you've all had a pretty big day."

"Thanks, Grandma." He grinned and her eyes got teary.

"You're welcome, Dad."

He really liked the sound of that.

_Dad._

Clark stood up carefully, the baby still sleeping in his arms. He looked uncertainly at his son's mother as the door closed behind their departed parents. "Honey, are you sure about this?"

"You and Sam aren't going anywhere." She insisted. "So hand over your son and take off your shoes."

"I don't think the nurse is going to be happy about this." He sighed.

"Clark, stop stalling." Lois gave him a look that wouldn't brook any more delaying tactics. "I need to get some sleep and I won't be able to do that if you're over there, sitting in a chair holding our baby. I want you on this bed holding _me_."

Clark had never minded losing an argument less than he did at that moment. It wasn't every day that a beautiful woman, who also happened to be your wife and the mother of your child, insisted that you sleep with her.

_He was a very lucky fellow._

Lois reached out and he carefully placed the baby in her arms before he rearranged the pillows so she could lie down and settle him next to her.

Clark sat down in the chair to untie his shoes and then slipped them off. He tucked them under the bed before he stood up and noticed that Lois's eyes had closed. Sam was tucked next to her body and his small arms seemed to be reaching for his father.

That was all the encouragement he needed to sit down on the bed and then stretch out next to his family. He put one hand on Lois' waist and pulled her toward him so he could brush a kiss against her lips. Then after getting his other arm around her, she tucked her head into the hollow of his shoulder.

"Clark?" She returned his gentle kiss and sighed.

"Mm-hmm?" He answered as he drew her even closer, being mindful of the baby.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He asked as his eyes grew heavy, her reassuring warmth lulling him into much needed sleep.

"For Sam." He felt the butterfly touch of her lips on his again as his eyes closed and then she laughed softly. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"I was happy to help." He grinned and felt his face warm.

"I know you were." She laughed again and he felt her hand grasp his tie. "Clark?"

"What is it, honey?" He began to caress her back and she sighed again.

"How much do you think we should tell him about this?" Lois asked, her voice sounding sleepy.

"Isn't this something that can wait until he's old enough to ask?" He asked her sensibly.

"Probably. But I'm asking now." She replied, just as sensibly and tucked her head under his chin. "So what are we going to tell him?"

"Well, we should probably start with the night I got home from California." He took in a deep, tired breath and let it out on a sigh. "You were asleep on the sofa-"

"I wasn't asleep." She insisted. "I was resting my eyes waiting for _you_."

"You were sleeping, Lois." He smiled again. "Which is what you should be doing now."

"Speak for yourself, G-man." Lois chastised him. "I'm not the one who had to catch the red-eye from Chicago."

"Lois."

"Clark."

"Please go to sleep." He tried to hold back a laugh.

_God, he really loved her._

"Only if _you_ do." He felt the vibration of her suppressed laugh under his hand.

Clark opened his eyes briefly and Sam's eyes were closed. _'Enjoy the quiet, Dad.' _He told himself. _'It won't always be like this.'_

"Lois?" He smiled as he felt her body move carefully toward his.

"Yes?" Her head moved from under his chin and she looked up at him.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Now how about working on that story?" She kissed his cheek and stifled a laugh. "The sound of your voice always puts me to sleep."

"Gee, thanks." Clark shook his head in bemusement before he gave some thought about how to start. "Once upon a time-"

"You can't be serious."

"Who's telling this story, Mom; you or me?" He kissed her forehead. "Now hush."

"Fine." She sighed and to his surprise remained silent.

_That had to be a first._

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful night club singer and an overly serious FBI agent who, for some reason he still doesn't quite understand, fell in love and got married."

"Nice start there, Dad." She laughed softly.

"No comments from the peanut gallery." He chided her with a smile. "And once they _were_ married, he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her."

"Not just his hands, buster." Lois laughed again. "Are you sure we should tell our son that?"

"Okay, maybe not _that_." He sighed before he continued. "So a few months after the singer and the agent were married, they found out they were anticipating a blessed event."

"I like that." Her head settled on his shoulder. "I hope _he_ thinks it's a blessing."

"Honey, Sam is going to love you as much as I do." Clark assured her. "You aren't going to know what to do with so much love from us."

"Tell me that in about six weeks." She snickered. "Then I'll _show_ you what you can do with it."

"I'm sure you will." His face warmed at the thought.

"You can count on it." She replied. "So, how did their blessed event turn out?"

"They ended up having a son and they named him after her father."

"Now why would they do something like that?" Lois huffed. "Dopey parents."

"They did something nice, Lois." He shook his head in mock exasperation. "Because her father did something nice for her."

"He _did,_ you know." She nodded her agreement as she caught his eye. "Clark, if he hadn't been here-"

"You would have had Sam anyway." He stated the obvious. "But you had someone that you loved and trusted to see you through it."

"That makes it sound like I don't trust your parents." She frowned at him.

"Not at all." Clark shook his head again. "The love you have for your dad is different from the love you have for my parents. Mom might have been able to help you because she's been through it, but I think having your dad's strength is what you _really_ needed."

"I would rather it had been you."

"No, you don't." He shook his head. "I wouldn't have known what to do and I probably would have made things worse."

"I don't think so." Lois disagreed and Clark watched as she gently stroked the bottoms of the baby's feet, which Sam seemed to like because he started to gurgle softly. _She was going to be a great mother. _"I'm glad Dad was there, don't get me wrong. But having you there would have made things that much easier."

His answer to that was to kiss her. It was the only thing he _could_ do because he loved her so much.

"I'll try to be there next time." Clark told her.

"And there _is _going to be a next time, you know." She nodded. "Because Sam is not going to be an only child, if I can help it."

"It wasn't so bad." He tried to sound convincing, but in truth, he had often wondered what it would have been like to be an older brother to younger Kents. "But I don't want Sam to be an only child either."

_Don't smile Clark._

"And you realize there's only one way to do that."

"Which if you have _your_ way, we'll be doing in about six weeks." He commented dryly.

"As if you aren't looking forward to it." Lois replied just as dryly.

"After waiting as long as we did before we got married, I don't think another six weeks will be that bad." He shrugged. "And we did wait a long time."

"Tell me about it." She snickered just before she kissed him. "But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

"Every agonizing second." Clark nodded and kissed her back. "And look what we got for our trouble."

"What do you mean _our _trouble?" She brushed a hand across his cheek. "In case you forgot, _I'm_ the one who went through it."

"True." He kissed her nose. "And I love you for saying that you'll go through it again."

"As long as you're always here, that won't be a problem." Lois yawned at the same time Sam did and Clark laughed softly. _Like mother, like son. _

"No laughing, G-Man or you _will_ go home."

"And you're going to wake up the baby, so shush." He made certain she wouldn't do just that when he kissed her.

"Clark?" He tried not to grin at the sound of her breathy voice grazing his ear just before her lips did.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for giving Sam to me." She pressed her lips to his once and then again.

"Likewise." He answered her kiss in the same way and then kissed her forehead. "But you know what I'd like you to do now?"

"What's that?" She grasped his tie and pulled him close to kiss him yet again.

"Say goodnight, Gracie." He did grin then because Clark knew that _Burns and Allen _was one of her favorite programs.

"Goodnight, Gracie." She laughed softly and kissed him one last time before she put her head down in the crook of his shoulder and sighed, continuing to stroke the baby's feet.

He waited for her body to relax as she fell back into sleep and then pressed a soft kiss to the baby's head before it was his turn to fall back into sleep with their newborn son tucked in between them; sleeping, too.


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home**

**March 25, 1943**

FBI Special Agent Clark Jerome Kent sat quietly on his parent's parlor sofa next to his wife, her hand clasped firmly in his. They'd only been married for three short months, after a courtship that neither had anticipated. And while they were still adjusting to their new lives as husband and wife, she'd given him the unexpected, but happy news that they were expecting a baby.

For Clark, it was nothing short of a miracle. Lois's love had saved him from a life of solitude, which surely would have happened if the Bureau hadn't temporarily reassigned him to the field office in Kansas nearly fifteen months earlier.

That temporary duty, which eventually became permanent, had turned out to be much more than he'd bargained for when he met a feisty, opinionated, sarcastic, gorgeous and passionate woman who was the key to his investigation.

He had no idea how passionate she really was until they were married and she revealed that part of herself to him on their wedding night.

"Would you put me down, this is silly." Clark smiled at Lois' feigned protest as he stood up, deciding that the sofa wasn't where he wanted to be and got an arm under her knees; the other he got behind her back and picked her up. He knew how much she loved it when he carried her, even though she would never say it.

"Take advantage of it while you can, honey; because at some point I won't be able to this any more." He reminded her as he carried her toward the stairs and then added with a grin. "At least not for awhile."

"Oh, there's _some_thing I want to take advantage of all right." She smiled back as she looped her arms around his neck and raised an eyebrow at him. "A tall, handsome, blue eyed federal agent that I haven't seen in a month who would warm my bed very nicely."

"And there's a beautiful, brunette, nightclub manager that I haven't seen in a month who I wouldn't mind warming _my_ bed either." He answered her and felt his face flush because only his wife could get him to say things like that. And then he thought about the baby; could they? "Lois, is it all right if we-" He couldn't bring himself to voice such an intimate thought and knew she understood what he meant when her own face flushed and she nodded.

"It'll be all right, for now." She reassured him. "But there _will_ come a point when it won't be possible."

"And you'll let me know when that is, won't you?" It suddenly felt so odd to him, wanting to make love with the woman who was carrying their child.

"I think you'll get the hint when I'm pushing you out of our bed and sending you downstairs to the sofa." Lois smiled back at him and kissed his cheek as he took her up the stairs. "I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, so why don't you come with me and you can ask him all the questions you want?"

"Can I do that?" Clark had always assumed that husbands weren't welcome during those kinds of visits.

"Ask questions or go with me to the doctor?" Lois teased him.

"Lois." He frowned self-consciously and she laughed.

"We really should have Dad here for dinner tomorrow night so we can tell him and your parents."

Clark came to a stop in front of their bedroom door and nudged it open with his shoulder. And as he set Lois down on her feet by the bed, he chuckled. "You realize that if we'd made that bet with your dad about when we would be expecting, we would have lost."

"I'm not complaining, G-man; are you?" She leaned up and kissed his cheek again. "After all, it's whatwe did so we would _find_ ourselves expecting that's important."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" He got his arms around her waist as her hands came to rest on his chest.

"You might want to take advantage of this, too." Lois smiled at him. "Before we know it, I'll be as big as a house and you won't be able to get your arms around me."

"As long as I get to kiss you, I won't complain too much." And to emphasis his point, he did just that.

"Is that all?"

"You _are _trying to tell me something." He couldn't help but laugh because he had a pretty good idea of what it was. He got confirmation of that when her hands moved to the lapels of his overcoat and as her gaze held his she pushed it off of his shoulders, showing him exactly what she had in mind. And not being the sort of fellow who would deny his wife anything, he let go of her long enough to shrug out of his coat and toss it onto the cedar chest that sat at the foot of their bed.

"At the moment, in case you hadn't noticed, we happen to have the whole house to ourselves." Lois put her arms around his neck and he caught her around her waist again. "And not being entirely sure when your parents are going to be home, we need to take advantage of the privacy."

"Kind of like the way you're taking advantage of me now?" Clark smiled. "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Does it really matter, as long as we end up in that bed together?" She lifted an eyebrow at him and his face warmed in anticipation. Would she always be able to do that to him?

_God, he hoped so._

"It doesn't really matter." He assured her as he pulled her close. "I just know that I've really missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Lois nodded in agreement. "And if you give me the chance, I'll show you how much."

"I'm all yours." He held her close and reveled in the feel of her in his arms again; a month was just too long to be away.

"More than you know." She promised him as she pressed her lips against his. "Clark, this is where you're supposed to show me how much you missed _me_."

"And how exactly should I do that?" He raised an eyebrow of his own. If it could work for her, it should work for him.

_Shouldn't it?_

"I think we've been married long enough that you shouldn't have to ask."

"You just stop me if I'm doing something you don't like." He brushed her lips with his. "All right?"

"Like that'll happen." Her face flushed and he smiled.

_It was nice to be home. _

As he held Lois close, an odd thought suddenly came to him. It had taken months before his parents were able to start their family. And now here he and Lois were, starting their own family within days of getting married.

"What are you smiling about?" The amused voice of his wife got his attention.

"I was just thinking how much our lives have changed in the last few months." He smiled at her. "And how much they'll change once the baby gets here."

The look on her face was dubious and he didn't doubt that Lois knew exactly what he'd been thinking. "Really. I was sure you were thinking about _how_ we got our baby."

"That too." Clark admitted with a laugh and hugged her to him.

"It _was_ worth the wait, wasn't it?" She asked him softly. Her question was without guile and he nodded. "So do you know how long you'll be home?"

"I'm sorry, honey; I don't." He caressed her back gently. "But since I was gone for so long, it's a pretty good bet that I'll be home for at least a week."

"Good." Lois said and he felt the vibration of her sudden, silent laugh against his chest before she leaned back and caught his eye. "Because we've got a whole month to make up for, buster."

"Then you need to stop talking." He admonished her as he brushed his lips against hers again and when he pulled away she followed him.

"You need to keep your lips right here." Lois stayed close and as he leaned in Clark saw her sudden glance over his shoulder before she put her hands on his chest to stop him cold. "Clark, would you get the door. Just in case?"

"Says the girl who didn't seem to care on our wedding night." He teased her.

"Only because I knew that your parents wouldn't be coming home." She countered. "They _did_ give us the house for the night, remember?"

"That's true." He agreed and when he reached for her, she stepped back.

"You need to close that door first and then I'm all yours."

"Promise?" He grinned at her.

"Door." Lois pointed at the bedroom door, making it abundantly clear that there wouldn't be any kind of a reunion until he did as she asked.

So he did what any good husband would do, he obeyed his wife.

"Thank you." Her voice suddenly sounded nervous and he turned to face her.

"Lois, if you've changed your mind about doing this now I can wait." Clark approached her and took her hands. "I know it's not just the two of us anymore."

"I don't think it's _ever_ just been the two of us, do you?" She laughed softly and he shook his head in puzzlement, not sure of what she meant. "Do you realize that except for last Christmas Eve and our wedding night, we've never really been alone together? We've always had your parents or my dad around and now with this little one here-" She put her hand over the slight swell of her abdomen and Clark's gaze followed the movement. "We won't be alone for at least the next eighteen years."

He stepped close and put his hand over hers, over their baby and commented quietly. "I'm not complaining."

"Clark, you _never_ complain." She smiled and leaned up on her toes to give him a soft kiss. "You take after your parents that way and _this_ one better do that, too. Otherwise, he or she will drive their mother crazy."

"Well their mother already drives _me_ crazy. " Clark teased her and was rewarded with another kiss. "And the fact that we're still standing here and talking is proof."

"In case you hadn't noticed, G-man _you're_ the one who's doing all the talking." She put her other hand over his. "So what are you going to do about that?"

He looked down at where their hands were resting and his face warmed. Because underneath those hands was the life they'd created together and he still couldn't quite believe what they'd done.

"Clark, is everything all right?" Lois soft voice got him to look up and into her eyes. "You look a little pensive."

"Not pensive, just stunned." He admitted to her. "It's just such a surprise."

"I know." She nodded. "I thought the doctor was pulling my leg when he told me."

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you when you found out." He sighed.

"It's all right, really." Lois put a hand on his cheek and caught his eye. "We couldn't have known it was going to happen so soon. But you have to promise me something."

'_Never make a promise you can't keep.' _Dad had always told him.

"That depends on what you're asking." Clark said carefully.

"Fair enough." She agreed and her other hand moved under his. "When the time comes for this little one to get here, I want you to try and be here."

"I'll try." He told her. "I don't want to promise more."

"I'll take it." Lois slipped her hand from under his and put her arms around his neck. "So now that we have that settled, why don't you let me welcome you home properly."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked her, trying to keep a straight face.

"Just try and stop me." She brought her body flush against his and Clark's face warmed in anticipation.

_He'd really missed her. _

"Wouldn't dream of it." He couldn't help but add and Lois rolled her eyes.

"I guess there's only one way to get you to stop talking." She sighed dramatically, just before she kissed him and got him to do just that.

oooooo

It was something she never thought she'd get used to.

Being loved, cherished, adored and married. Add to that, she was going to be a mother in about six months time and it left Lois's mind reeling.

Lois Kent.

Lois Joanne Lane _Kent_; it was something she found herself still adjusting to.

It had been nearly fourteen months since she'd met an overly serious FBI agent who had been sent out from Washington to protect her because of threats that had been made, unbeknownst to her, on her very life.

Lois had always had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the conversation she'd overheard between the Falcon's former owner and a now jailed and disgraced former United States Senator had put her life in peril.

What she didn't realize at the time was that Clark had been sent back just over a month before he came to talk to her because of that threat and he'd taken on his cover as a cub reporter at _The Daily Planet_.

It had been because of that and the fact that she couldn't just sit on her hands while he did all the legwork that she unexpectedly found herself a part of it, as his girl. And as a result, their relationship gently shifted from that of protector and protected, to a man and a woman falling deeply in love.

And that gentle shift in their relationship was the catalyst to their current situation.

She was curled up against his chest and felt his even breathing against her back as his cheek rest against her hair. She also felt his warm hand brushing against her slightly rounded tummy and she became acutely aware that he couldn't seem to get enough of touching her there. "How soon will it be before we can feel the baby move?"

His sleepy voice rumbled near her ear and she put her head back against his shoulder. "It'll be a while yet."

"Are you sure you don't mind if I come with you?" His hand continued to brush feather strokes against her bare skin and she arched against his touch, wanting him more than she should have.

"You're talking again." She sighed. "I thought we agreed not to do that."

"_We_ didn't agree, Lois." He laughed softly. "You kissed me to shut me up."

"And it worked, for awhile." Lois took the hand that was low against her body and pulled it up around her waist. "So how about a little less talking and a lot more cuddling."

"That's all?" He laughed again and she smiled with contentment being in his arms again. It was where she felt most safe and it was where she knew their baby was safe, too.

She rolled over, his embrace loosening only long enough for her to do so before his arms closed back around her. And at the sight of his tousled hair, smiling face and flushed cheeks, she felt her own cheeks warm. "Haven't you had enough?"

"No." He shook his head as his eyes fairly sparkled in the moonlight pouring through the window next to the bed. "You said yourself that we have a month to make up for and I intend on taking advantage of an empty house while we can."

"I love you." Lois reached up to put her hand on his cheek. "And making love with you is just icing on the cake."

"I love you too, Lois and I really want to show you again." And to prove to her that he meant it, he drew her body against his to kiss her cheek and then her lips.

Lois threaded her fingers into his hair as his lips found all the places that he knew would drive her to distraction. And in answer to his roaming lips, her back arched again as her leg curled around his and she felt his heart rate accelerate at such a pace that she smiled.

She felt his unmistakable response to her gentle coaxing and just as she was getting ready to take his body into hers, everything came to a screeching halt. She heard the unmistakable sound from downstairs of the front door opening and her mother in law's call. "Lois, honey. We're home."

Clark's head dropped into the curve of her shoulder and he began to laugh, even though she felt him shaking, terribly. "It's a good thing I got home as early as I did." His voice was muffled against her skin.

"You're telling me." She kissed his hair and held him for a moment before he reluctantly let her go. She then heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs and it was Lois' turn to laugh. "Now you understand why I asked you to close the door."

"Where's your bathrobe?" Clark asked her as he boosted himself up on his elbow.

"The closet?"

"This means that one of us has to get out of bed." He glanced at her and from the look on his face; he knew who it was going to be.

"It's that, or your parents find us like this." She shrugged. "Which would be less awkward?"

"I guess it's me." He sighed and Lois grinned. He grabbed for the chenille bedspread as he slipped out of bed and wrapped it around himself; he was still so shy about that.

"That view isn't exactly what I had in mind." She teased him as she sat up, admiring the play of firm muscle across his back.

_And it was all hers._

"Lois." He admonished and she laughed as he got their bathrobes from the closet. He tossed hers to her waiting hand and then struggled one handed as he held the spread, to get his on before she saw the spread drop.

"That _really_ isn't the view I had in mind." Lois remarked with an appreciatively raised eyebrow as he cinched his robe and picked up the spread as he walked back to the bed and dropped it at the foot.

"Well it's all I want my parents to see, so you're just going to have to live with it." He told her.

"At least until they go to sleep." She quipped.

A soft knock on the door wiped the humorous looks off of Clark and Lois's faces as her heart squeezed in panic and she looked at her husband.

"Lois, are you in here?" Martha asked quietly as the door opened slowly.

There wasn't any time to present herself decently, so she pulled the covers over her head to hide and felt her face burn in embarrassment.

"Hi, Mom." She heard Clark's voice crack with equal embarrassment and she could just imagine the look on his mother's face.

"Oh my goodness." Lois heard a breath of surprise. "I'm sorry, honey. I saw your car out front and should have realized you'd be up here."

"I'm the one who's sorry." She heard him reply. "We should have said something."

"I'll be downstairs." And the door closed with a decisive thump.

"Well, _that_ was fun." Lois pulled the covers back enough, so that her face peaked out and Clark's hands were shoved into the pockets of his bathrobe.

"I know it sounds silly because we _are_ married, but it just feels so strange to know that my mother knows what we were doing." He sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of her hands.

"I think it's because in some ways, our parents always see us as kids." And then she smiled at him. "Even when we start having kids of our own."

"Since they know we're in here, do you want to go downstairs now?"

"Are you kidding? Go downstairs in our bathrobes?" She frowned. "If we do that, it'll just embarrass her even more."

"Good point." Clark nodded in agreement and then stood up. "I'll go get dressed in the bathroom and you can change in here."

"That's no fun."

_She couldn't help it. _

"Maybe not, but it'll be less distracting. And you are_ very_ distracting, Mrs. Kent." He smiled and then dropped a kiss on her lips. "Besides, the less time we spend getting down there the less awkward it'll be for all of us."

"That's true."

"I thought you'd see it my way."

"This time." Lois wouldn't let him have the last word as he walked to the dresser and pulled a pair of dungarees and a clean tee shirt out of one drawer and a pair of socks from another.

"I won't be long." He told her as he opened the door and glanced up and down the hallway before he stepped out and closed it behind him.

Twenty minutes later they were both dressed and downstairs, greeting her in laws in the parlor. It should have been ten, but Clark had walked in on her while she was fastening the garters to her stockings. And without a moment's hesitation had gotten her underneath him on the bed to finish what they'd started when his parents had walked in the front door.

Needless to say, Lois hadn't protested that he'd changed his mind.

Who knew that her handsome husband could satisfy her so completely without their usual preliminaries? And how terrible was it that as they stood in the parlor hand in hand, facing his parents, she was still feeling the after affects of his having loved her?

"I'd say welcome home, son; but I'd wager that Lois already did." Jonathan chuckled from behind the evening edition of _The Daily Planet_.

"Jonathan." Martha shook her head with a feigned frown and a barely concealed smile. "Honey, we already had dinner. But there are some leftovers in the icebox if you'd like to fix yourself something."

"Thanks, Mom. That sounds great." Lois heard next to her and then Clark's hand squeezed hers as he whispered. "Dinner."

"Speaking of dinner, I thought that since Clark is home we could have Dad over for dinner tomorrow night. It's been awhile since the four of us have eaten together." Lois spoke up as Jonathan and Martha looked at her and smiled.

"I think that's a nice idea, Lois." He nodded. "Your father would never admit it, but I think he likes coming out here."

"Sounds like a girl I know before I married her." Lois heard near her ear and she gave him a quick jab with her elbow, which only made him laugh.

"Why don't you call him before it gets too much later and see if he can come." Martha looked down, seeming to take a sudden interest in her knitting and trying to hide a smile.

"I'll do that, thanks." Lois grabbed Clark's hand and pulled him behind her. "Come on, troublemaker. We have a telephone call to make."

"Yes, ma'am." She caught his grin as they walked into the kitchen and she continued to the telephone. She picked up the receiver and waited for the operator.

"_Good evening, where would you like to place your call?" _The cheerful voice of the operator came on the line.

"Would you connect me with Fort Ryan, please?" Lois requested as she felt Clark's chin on her shoulder and she put her hand over the receiver. "Why don't you get something to eat? This won't take too long."

"I like where I am." He refused to budge and she tried not to smile. "I've missed you."

"_Good evening. You've reached Fort Ryan, Kansas. How may I direct your call?" _A young male voice asked her crisply and from the sound of him, Lois would bet that he was a PFC and no more than nineteen.

"Would you connect me to General Samuel Lane's quarters, please? This is his daughter."

"_Yes ma'am." _His calm demeanor seemed to suddenly desert him and Lois couldn't help but smile as he stammered. _"H-Hold for General Lane."_

"He sounds almost as nervous as the first time you talked to Dad." She leaned back and kissed his cheek.

"That's because we were being interrogated." He joked.

"Agent Kent, that was _not_ an interrogation." Lois felt the need to enlighten him. "He wouldn't have been that calm if it were."

"Then I guess I got lucky?"

"Nooo, that was earlier." She laughed softly at her own joke, knowing her husband was probably blushing at the thought. "And if you play your cards right, you'll get lucky again _later_ tonight too."

The vibration of his silent laughter against her back made her smile as her father came on the line. _"General Lane."_

"Hi, Dad. It's Lo." She felt Clark's hand slip down to rest where the baby was, something that was already becoming a habit and she put her head back against his shoulder, putting her free hand over his.

"_I was just thinking about you." _She heard the pleased response. _"Is that wayward groom of yours home yet?"_

"He _is_ and if you're free for the evening, we'd like you to come out to the farm for dinner tomorrow." She asked him, knowing he would say yes if he could.

"_I don't see why not." _She'd bet he was checking the schedule he usually had posted in his kitchen. _"I'll be gone on maneuvers for a few days after that, so tomorrow will be fine. Same time?"_

"Same time." She nodded. "Martha or I will call you if that changes."

"_Sounds like a plan then. See you for dinner."_

"Good night, Dad." Lois felt the absurd need to smile because _her_ father was going to be a _grand_father. And at the moment, he didn't have a clue.

"_Good night, Lo." _And she heard a click on the other end of the line as he hung up.

"Well, we've got three parents for dinner tomorrow and one big announcement." She mentioned quietly and sighed.

"It'll be fine, honey." He held her close. "We'll tell them together."

"Dad's going to give us such a bad time about this." Lois rolled her eyes.

"We can take it." Clark reassured her with a kiss on her cheek. "After all, Dad just got his digs in about my being home already."

"You do realize that our dads are spending too much time together, because _my_ dad's humor is rubbing off on _yours_." Lois pointed out the obvious. "It's not really fair to your mom."

"If it gets to be too much, she'll let him know."

"Clark, how are we going to do this?" She turned around to look at his face and he shrugged.

"I don't have a clue. I guess we wait for any kind of an opening in the conversation."

"Well, _you're_ a big help." Lois frowned and Clark grasped her arms gently.

"Lois, when the time comes we'll know it and we'll find a way to tell them." His voice was soft. "In the meantime, why don't you share my dinner with me and then we can enjoy the rest of the evening with my parents."

"Do you think they'll be happy about this?"

"Well _we_ are, so I know _they_ will be." He continued to try and reassure her. "They'll probably be just as surprised, but they'll know how much we want this."

"Are you ready?" She asked him.

_She was really asking him if he was ready to be a father._

"Are _you_?" Clark answered Lois' question with one of his own and she knew he probably understood what she was trying to say.

"As long as you're in this with me, I'm ready." Lois admitted with a hesitant smile and he pulled her to him.

"Good. Because as long as you're with me, I'm ready too."

"That's good." She sighed with relief. It was something she already knew in her heart, but it was nice to hear it just the same.

"You're going to be a wonderful mother." He added with a whisper, trying to reassure her.

And Lois whispered back in response. "And you're going to be a great dad."

"Thank you for giving me the chance."

"Thank you for letting me."

"You're welcome."

And for once, Clark got the last word in.


	3. The Secret is Out

**Chapter 2: The Secret is Out**

"I hate lying to your parents." Lois commented with a sigh as Clark drove the car toward Smallville. "I know we're doing it for a good reason, but I still hate it."

"I know you do." He glanced at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. "I do too. But if we really want to surprise them with this, there has to be a certain amount of subterfuge."

"I know." And out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nod. "It's just that I've already been keeping this secret for a month and I think your mother knows. My clothes haven't been fitting as well as they used to, so it's been getting a little difficult to try and hide it. And with the looks she's been giving me, I keep expecting her to offer me her old maternity clothes."

He probably shouldn't have laughed, but he did because it _was_ something his mother would do.

"I'm glad you find this whole thing so amusing." She had to have been frowning. "You've been off the hook for the last month because _you_ didn't know, so you haven't had to feel guilty."

He reached over and took Lois' trembling hand in his for a moment. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm not trying to make light of it. I know it's been hard on you knowing about the baby and not wanting to say anything before you told me."

"I just wanted us to be together when I did." She sighed again. "Of course that wouldn't have worked if you'd been gone for another month. I would have started showing by then and I would have had to tell you over a long distance line before I told our parents."

"The important thing to remember is that I _am_ home now." Clark squeezed her fingers and let them go, putting his hand back on the wheel. "And because you've told me, now we can tell them."

"We really should stop by the Falcon on the way home." She slid over so that they sat shoulder to shoulder and when he glanced over at her, she smiled. "So sue me, I've missed you. Anyway, since we told your parents you were driving me into town to talk to Lionel, we really should. Then it wouldn't be a _complete_ lie."

"The Falcon it is." He nodded. "So how do you like the doctor? You didn't say much about him last night."

"That's because we weren't doing much talking." She laughed as she tucked her arm through his. "I don't know yet. Would you believe that he was an Army doctor?"

Clark grinned. "Why am I not surprised?"

"He said that he got out after the last war because he wanted the chance to bring lives into the world instead of watching them leave it."

"Do you like him?" He asked and felt her nod.

"For better or for worse, he reminds me of the General." She snickered. "I'm not sure how Dad would feel about that."

"The important thing is that you're comfortable with him." Clark dropped a quick kiss in her hair. "Because if you are, then _I _will be."

"Well after growing up with my dad, you'd think that would be a given." She sighed.

"Nothing is a given, Lois." He told her as they approached the outskirts of Smallville. "Now where is this doctor of yours?"

"237 Granville Road." She told him. "His office is on the corner."

"That's where the dance school used to be."

Lois nodded. "The girl who ran it decided to join the WAVES and pulled up stakes a couple of months ago. Doctor Francis was looking for larger quarters and took over her lease. So now he and his wife live upstairs and his office is on the first floor."

"That's convenient." He observed.

"Maybe for him, but I'm not sure how his wife feels about it." She countered. "I overheard them talking and she thinks that too many people take advantage of the fact that he lives there because they've started to show up at all hours."

"Lois, don't you remember what happened the last time you listened in on a private conversation?" Clark teased her and got a light smack on the arm for his trouble.

"Yeah, I met _you_." She tossed back and laughed softly.

"And we made a baby together." He suddenly couldn't find his voice and he felt tears prick the backs of his eyes.

"That too." She whispered back and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." _And it was._

"Mine too." She kissed his cheek again.

"I know." He chuckled and this time got a swift punch.

"I don't think it's just _your_ dad that _my_ dad's humor is rubbing off on, G-man." She huffed, but Clark knew that she was smiling. "Clark?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Where Dr. Francis' office is now, that was the studio where you learned how to dance for our wedding, wasn't it?"

"The very one."

"Hmm."

He glanced down at her. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." She shook her head. "I was just thinking that the two of the biggest events in our lives will have been in that building."

"True." He shrugged. "But I'd say that having a baby is a bigger event than learning how to dance."

"It is, but you learned to dance for _me_." She caught his eye for a moment. "No one has ever done anything like that for me before, or given me a baby." She added with a smile.

"Well then, you're welcome for both." He kissed her cheek and then glanced ahead. "I think this is it."

They reached the intersection of Route 31 and Granville Road and Clark saw the modest two story studio turned office and pulled up to the curb next to a spot marked for 'Patients Only'.

Lois let go of his arm and sat up after he shut down the engine and opened his door. He walked around to the passenger side to open hers and held out his hand. "Clark, I think I can manage getting out of a car." Her face was flushed. "But it'll probably come in handy in another five or six months."

"I'll remember that." He shook his head in amusement as he continued to hold his hand out to her and she took it.

_He knew she would._

After she stepped out of the car, he closed the door behind her and they turned together to face the building. "You don't have to do this, you know."

He shook his head because he didn't want her to misunderstand. "I was just thinking that it was one thing to hear about the baby from you. But to hear it from a doctor will make it that much more real."

"I know." She squeezed his hand. "It's funny though, it didn't seem like it could be true when he told me. And it wasn't until I told you last night and you touched me that it finally became real."

"Lois?" He couldn't help but grin as he looked at her.

"What?"

"We're going to be parents." Clark laughed with delight at the idea.

"I feel sorry for the little guy." She shook her head in mock sorrow. "Me as their mother."

"Hey, he or she will love you because they'll see how much we love each other." And to prove it, in front of God and humanity, he kissed her.

"There _is_ a time and a place for that." He heard the shocked voice of an older woman as she walked by, shielding the eyes of an adolescent child. "Honestly."

"You'd think that you were ravishing me in broad daylight." Lois muttered quietly as the mother pulled her child away.

"Not in broad daylight anyway." He shouldn't have said it, but he couldn't help it and his cheeky comment caught his wife by surprise.

"I'm going to tell your mother." She laughed, even with the stunned look on her face. "Martha Kent's well brought up boy talking about something like that in public."

"And we both know whose fault _that_ is." He wouldn't back down and kissed her nose. "Don't we?"

"Before we get arrested for public indecency, I think we should get inside. Don't you?" She deflected his comment before she took his arm and tugged him gently toward the front door.

It wasn't often that Clark could say something to get his wife to blush, but that moment was one of those rare times and he reveled in it. "You're awfully pretty when you blush, Mrs. Kent."

"And you're a terrible tease, Mr. Kent." He heard her laugh softly as she kept moving him toward the door. "Come on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get to the Falcon and try not to feel so bad."

"Message received." He tucked her hand close against his body and walked her into the doctor's office.

The bell above the door jingled as Clark opened it and waited for Lois to walk in ahead of him. It jingled again as he closed it behind them and then took his hat off, following her to the admissions desk. A young nurse, she couldn't have been more than a few months out of nursing school, looked up and smiled at them. "May I help you?"

"I'm Lois Kent." Lois told her and he found himself with a smile on his face, _Lois Kent_.He really liked the sound of that. "I have an appointment with Dr. Francis."

"He's expecting you, Mrs. Kent. But you may need to wait." She explained. "One of his patients went into early labor last night and he was at the hospital with her until quite late."

"Is she all right?" Clark could hear the worry in her voice, no doubt thinking that it could happen to her.

"She's fine." The nurse reassured her. "They're both right as rain and resting comfortably."

"That's good." Lois sighed in relief.

"This is your first, isn't it?" She asked and when Lois nodded, she smiled. "Our first time mothers are easy to spot."

When Clark laughed softly, the nurse smiled at him. "And our first time fathers are easy to spot, too. They won't let their wives out of their sight."

"Well-" He felt the heat of embarrassment creep across his cheeks as he fingered the brim of his hat.

"It's nice to see you here, Mr. Kent." She laughed herself. "Too often husbands aren't able to come with their wives or choose not to because they're uncomfortable with the whole experience."

"Never mind that they're the ones who get us into this." Lois gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow and his face warmed even more with the titter of laughter in the waiting room.

"Lois." He admonished her quietly and sighed.

"He's so bashful about that sort of thing." She turned to face him and put a soft hand on his cheek. "That's why I love him so much."

He was saved from further embarrassment when a door opened and another nurse stepped into the doorway. "Mrs. Kent, you can come on back now."

Clark motioned with his hat for Lois to go ahead of him and she leaned up to kiss his cheek with a giggle before she followed the nurse. For some reason, he was reminded of their trip to the county courthouse when they applied for their marriage license, as they were shown into Dr. Francis' office and told he would be in to talk to them momentarily.

He waited for Lois to sit down before he sat down next to her and hung his hat on one knee, and then the other began to bounce. It was a nervous tick he'd had since he was a kid, which Lois was aware of. And when she reached over to pat it reassuringly, she laughed softly.

"I'm only doing this for you." He smiled before he leaned over and kissed her.

The door opened suddenly and Clark heard a throat being cleared as he walked around to his desk and sat down. "Lois Kent's husband, I presume."

"That's me." He pulled away from his wife and suddenly felt as though he were sitting in the principle's office. The last time he'd felt like that, he'd met Lois's father.

"I'm glad to see you here." He nodded approvingly and looked suspiciously as though he were trying not to laugh. "I try to encourage husbands to come to these appointments. It helps them feel more a part of the whole process and gives them a greater appreciation of what their wives are going through."

Clark could see why Lois liked him.

"So how _is_ my wife?" He sat forward. "I've been away on a business trip and Lois wasn't able to tell me about the baby until last night."

_A business trip. _He didn't like having to be untruthful about what it was he did, but it was necessary to protect himself and his family. And now with Lois expecting, he was even keener on protecting them.

"Your wife is fine, Mr. Kent." The doctor reassured him. "I asked her to come back in today to give her the results of a workup I did on her a few days ago."

Clark sat forward and his panic must have showed because the doctor put his hand up.

"The baby is fine, too." He added. "But I always like to be thorough with my new mothers because it gives me a baseline to start with. Having said that though-" And he looked at Lois. "I'm a little concerned about your blood pressure."

"Blood pressure?" It was Lois' turn to sit forward.

"It's nothing to be alarmed about." He shook his head. "It's a little higher than I would like for a first pregnancy, but as long as we keep an eye on it, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Is there anything I can do?" She reached for Clark's hand and he held it tight.

"You work at the Falcon." He looked down at her chart and then back up at her. "As the club manager."

Lois nodded and gave Clark a worried look.

"What are your hours like?"

"I get in about eight o'clock and leave by five." She told him and he frowned as he looked at her chart again.

"Mrs. Kent, I think you should consider cutting back some. The responsibility of a job like that produces a lot of stress and it's stress that won't be good for you or for that little one you're carrying."

"Is there a chance she could lose it?" Clark tried to swallow the knot of fear that had lodged in his throat, but couldn't.

"Don't go borrowing trouble now." The doctor shook his head in the negative. "My point in telling you that is so you understand that stress isn't good on the mother or child and may make the delivery a little more difficult. But if you would cut back your time-" He gave Lois a pointed look. "It _would_ be better for the both of you."

"Are you saying I should quit?" Lois sighed and seemed to brace herself for the answer.

"Not at all." He shook his head again. "It's a job you seem to enjoy and quitting isn't the answer because that creates a different kind of stress. What I'm going to ask you to do is pay close attention to how you feel at the end of the day and if you feel that you only want to work three or four days a week, then do that. It's all a matter of balance and you strike me as the kind of young woman who can do it."

"I'll talk to the owner and we'll work something out." Lois promised him and Clark knew that she meant it.

"Very good." He smiled at her. "So other than the slight elevation in your blood pressure, everything else is fine. Your weight gain is normal and all of your other vitals are normal. I also want you to start walking at least a half hour every day and when you get far enough along, cut it back to twenty minutes if you find yourself tiring too easily."

"Why?"

"It's good to stay active as early as possible." He told her. "It's good for your circulation and you'll find that you tire less easily the father along you get."

"Does it have to be all at the same time?" She wanted to know.

"No. If you want to break it up into two fifteen minute walks, you can do that. Just as long as it's a half-hour a day."

"I'll make sure she does." He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "We _are_ in this together."

"That's good to hear." He pushed his chair back and stood up. "By the way, you asked me how far along you were and I can confirm that you _are_ about three months along."

_Their wedding night, the hotel? Or was it Kansas City?_

"I'd like to see you back here in a couple of weeks so I can see how things are progressing." He picked up her chart. "So make an appointment with the nurse on your way out."

Clark stood up and took Lois' elbow to help her up. The look she gave him was appreciative, but nonetheless told him that she wasn't quite in need of his assistance just yet. He just grinned at her in response.

"Thank you, Doctor." Clark put his hand out and Lois's doctor shook it. "I'll make sure she takes her walks."

"As a good husband should." He smiled and then directed his attention once again to Lois. "And as for you, young lady. Your body is changing so it can take care of that life you're carrying, so you need to take care of _it_. Let your body tell you what it's capable of and if there is anything going on that concerns you or just have questions about, don't hesitate to call me. All right?"

"I will." She promised him and he shook her hand.

"Mr. Kent, if it's possible I'd like you to be here for these appointments. I find that it helps a woman who's expecting to remain calm when her husband is with her."

"I'll do my best."

"That's all I can ask." He headed for his office door and opened it. Then just before he stepped outside and closed it, he reminded Lois. "Don't forget, two weeks."

"She won't." Clark assured him as the door closed. He then looked at Lois and knew he was grinning like a fool as he reached for her and got his arms around her waist. "Three months."

"That's what he said." Lois' face was turning beet red and Clark was sure he knew why.

"So what do you think?"

"About what?" Her voice was becoming breathy. It only did that when she was nervous and the wary look on her face made him grin even more. She had to know where he was going with his questions.

"Do you think it was our wedding night, our honeymoon or when you came to Kansas City?" He laughed because he couldn't seem to help it.

"Well considering that you wouldn't let me out of bed, it's hard to say." She put her hands on his chest. "But personally? I'd like to think that we conceived this little one at the farm."

"The farm?" He asked, curious to hear her answer. "Why?"

"Because so many important things have happened to us there and since this kind of tops them all, it makes sense that our _most_ important moment would happen there too." The color in her face had faded to a soft shade of pink and she smiled, her eyes sparkling as she fiddled with his tie. "And we've got another big moment coming up this evening and where do you suppose _that_ is?"

"Where else?" He hugged her to him and sighed. "I can't wait to tell them that they're going to be grandparents."

"Me either." She whispered in his ear. "But we're never going to get the chance if we stay here all day, so let's get going."

"Whatever you say, Mom." He laughed again and then because he wanted to so badly, he kissed her.

She kissed him back but was mindful not to encourage him and he sensed that; she would tell him they had time for that later. "You kiss pretty good for someone who's going to be a dad."

"And you kiss pretty good for someone who's going to be a mom." He pressed another soft kiss to her lips and let her go, only to take her hand and walk her out of the office.

When they stepped outside a few minutes later, Clark suggested they walk the few blocks to the Falcon. When Lois gave him a look that told him she wasn't too keen on the idea, he smiled at her. "We might as well get into the habit of walking, Lois. He said at least a half hour every day. And since it'll only take us five minutes to walk down there and five minutes to walk back to the car, that leaves twenty minutes after we get home."

Her answer to that was to take his arm and sigh. "All right. After all, I _am_ walking for two."

"That's my girl." He kissed her cheek and then laughed. Lois looked up at him curiously and he shook his head because he wasn't sure she'd appreciate the source of his amusement. "If I tried anything else, we might get another outraged mother glaring at us."

"Well we can't have _that_ now, can we?" She gave him a slightly exasperated look before she nibbled on the side of her bottom lip, a sure sign she was up to something; and then she smiled at him, just before she giggled. "Keep a look out for any outraged mothers."

And she kissed him, without a care for what anyone thought.

It was one of the reasons he loved her so much.

Clark's knees were shaking by the time she pressed one last, soft kiss on his lips and then took his arm, as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. "Come on, Dad. I have to walk."

She tugged him along with her and in a haze, he followed her.

_Hell, he'd follow her anywhere. _

By the time they got to the Falcon, Lois had her keys out of her handbag and she unlocked the front door. Clark opened it for her and waited for her to walk in ahead of him and then she promptly locked the door after he came in behind her. "Since we're here, I'm going to check and see if the liquor inventories are on my desk yet."

"I'll wait here." He told her, but before she had the chance to walk back to her office, Lionel Luthor strolled out of the club and into the foyer, a half full tumbler in his hand.

"Lionel, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be retired." Lois smiled at him.

"Well, Lois that _is _one of the advantages of being retired. I can come and go as I please." He took a sip of his scotch, straight up and smiled back.

"You're bored, aren't you?"

"I needed to get some fresh air." He gave her a look and then shook his head. "I fear I made a deal with the devil when I persuaded the judge to release Lana into my custody because she _is_ making things, difficult."

"She should be grateful she isn't in jail." Lois glanced at Clark and she was frowning. "She threatened my life and could have killed my husband."

"Lois, you know doesn't quite see it that way and nothing I say makes a bit of difference." He sighed. "It's the reason the judge wanted to send her some place for a, shall we say, recuperative period?"

"The Kansas State Home for the Criminally Insane is hardly a place to recuperate, Lionel and you _know_ that."

"And the fact that she isn't there gives me something of an advantage over her." He shrugged casually. "But the fact of the matter is, she may yet end up there."

"Is she threatening you?" Clark stepped forward. "Mr. Luthor-"

"Lionel, please." He said easily and took another sip of his scotch.

"Lionel, I don't mean to question your decisions. But I can't help but feel that it might not be in your best interest to keep her in your home. She should be where there are doctors who know how to deal with people like her."

"Son, the thing you need to understand about Lana is that she is perfectly lucid. But she has this misplaced anger-" He glanced hesitantly at Lois and sighed. "And, I dislike saying it, hatred toward your lovely bride. She holds Lois responsible for the loss of your affections and can't be made to see the truth. Namely that you never loved her and that you love your wife."

_What would she do if she found out about the baby? _Clark couldn't help but worry. Lois seemed to sense the same thing because she reached for his hand, looking at him with trepidation.

"Agent Kent-"

"Clark, please."

"Clark, is there something that's bothering you?" Lionel looked at him and then Lois, and then a slow smile spread across his face. "Would it be presumptuous of me to ask if you're anticipating a blessed event?"

The temptation to tell him was strong, but their parents _had_ to be the first to know; that wasn't open for debate.

"I'm just concerned that something could happen to my wife." He tightened his grip on her hand. "Lana wouldn't leave her alone before we were married and I don't want it to continue."

"Leave that to me. That girl thinks she's smarter than I am and it's what makes her careless." Lionel put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "I can use that carelessness against her, she just doesn't realize it."

He wasn't entirely convinced.

"Just take Lois home." Lionel walked to the main door, effectively cutting off further discussion. "I know you haven't said as much, but under the circumstances your attention needs to be on the woman whose hand you're holding so tightly. Don't let outside circumstances change that."

"Just keep me informed about what's happening." Clark asked as they followed the older man. "I can't protect my wife if you don't."

"Agreed." He nodded as he unlocked the door and then opened it. "Lois, if you ever feel the need to change your schedule, please don't hesitate to say something."

_He knew._

"I'll remember that, Lionel. Thank you." She put a hand on his arm. "Please watch yourself."

"Don't worry about me, my dear." He covered her hand with his. "I'm not the doddering old man that young hellcat thinks I am. She tends to forget that I was single handedly running a bootlegging operation when Lex was still in short pants."

"I just don't want you to underestimate _her_."

"I never underestimate those I don't trust, Lois." He patted her hand and then stepped away. "Go home now. If you'd like to take another day off so you can spend time with your husband, I certainly won't mind coming down to the club for awhile."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." He nodded and nudged her gently toward the open door. "You need to spend the time together when he's home. I'll see you on Monday."

"Thank you." She leaned up and pressed a brief kiss to his cheek.

"You're welcome." He smiled at her and Clark ducked his head to hide his smile when he saw Lionel Luthor's face flush. "Go on now, before I have to fire you."

"I'd like to see you try." Lois laughed and walked outside with Clark right behind her. And no sooner were they on the other side of the door, then it was closed behind them and he heard the firm click of the bolt.

Lois took his arm and they walked back to the car, strolling at a leisurely pace. "He knows."

"I got that impression." Clark nodded his agreement. "And we _will_ tell him."

"Clark, I wish he hadn't made a deal with that judge." He felt her cheek on his shoulder. "Lionel should be enjoying life right now, not tying himself down to _her_."

"Honey, it was his choice." He knew he was telling her something she already knew. "But if it'll make you feel better, I'll keep an eye on things."

"Just as long as you don't let her keep too close an eye on _you_." Lois sighed and Clark frowned. "I don't trust her any more than Lionel does."

"But you trust _me_, so you don't have anything to worry about." He pulled her elbow against his body and held it there before he sighed. "Lois, I don't trust her either so I'll be careful. I promise."

"I just won't ever forget that she shot you." She glanced up at him and the look on her face was of deep worry. "If Lionel hadn't surprised her, we probably wouldn't be here."

"I know." He nodded and then tried to lighten the mood. The last thing he wanted to be doing at that moment was talking about Lana Luthor. "We'll have to start thinking about names at some point."

"Clark, we still have a few months before we need to make a decision." He heard her soft laugh and smiled; he didn't like seeing her in distress. "And not knowing if it's going to be a boy or a girl, it doesn't make a lot of sense right now."

"That's why I think we should start a list." He reasoned. "We can leave it on the dresser and every time we think of a name we'll write it down. And after we have the baby-"

"You mean, after _I_ have the baby." She reminded him and he shook his head in amusement.

"Then after _you_ have the baby, it won't be that hard to come up with something."

"You know, you're pretty smart for a fed." She commented quietly and laughed again. "And you're pretty good in bed, too."

"Lois." He felt his cheeks burn with a blush, but he'd bet a dollar to a donut hole that she was blushing too as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Let's get home."

"Your wish is my command." He told her as they continued their leisurely walk back to the car.

oooooo

Maybe it was because he and Lois kept glancing at each other all through dinner that evening that had their parents glancing at each other, and smiling.

The opportunity never presented itself during the meal and Clark began to wonder if they were ever going to get the news out. The fact was, he was going to be a father and he wanted to share that with his parents.

It wasn't until his mother suggested that they take their coffee and dessert out to the parlor, that he knew they'd been given the opportunity and the feel of Lois' hand in his told him to take it.

When he and she had settled down on the sofa, his parents had taken one overstuffed chair and her father had taken the other, Clark nervously cleared his throat.

'_I give it nine months.' _His father in law's words from their wedding day came back to him as he looked at the expectant faces and cleared his throat again; this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

"It's not bad news, is it?" His mother finally asked, her smile dimming somewhat. "You and Lois have had this look all evening of the cat that swallowed the canary."

"You haven't been drafted, have you?" His father was starting to look worried and Clark shook his head.

"I'm too old for the draft, Dad. And before you ask, I haven't volunteered."

"Well then, what is it?" Lois's father frowned at them. "Because from the looks on your faces, it certainly isn't a baby."

_That's what _he_ thought._

"Actually, Daddy it is." Lois made the blunt announcement and he felt a blush burn his cheeks; leave it to his wife to cut to the chase.

"What?" The stunned look on his mother's face made him smile.

"A baby?" His father looked just as surprised and then _he_ smiled. "You're having a baby?"

"I'm due at the end of September." Lois supplied more information as their parents looked at each other.

"Well hell, Lo." Sam blinked a few times and his face colored. "I wasn't serious when I said I wanted another grandchild so quickly."

"I know, Dad." Lois laughed softly. "But apparently another grandchild wanted _you_."

"How are you?" He asked and then glanced down to her abdomen. "How's that little one?"

She put a hand on the spot her father was looking at and glanced at Clark before she sighed. "We're both fine. My blood pressure is a little high, but Dr. Francis will keep an eye on it and he's suggested that I might think about cutting back my hours at the Falcon."

"I don't suppose I could talk you into quitting?" Her father asked and as expected, Lois shook her head.

"Clark hasn't asked me to do it. So until he can come up with a good reason, or I just feel like it's time, I'm going to keep working."

"You do what you feel is best, honey." Mom told her. "And if you need our help, don't hesitate to ask."

"I won't, Martha." She glanced up at Clark again. "Since the FBI keeps sending my husband all over the country, I'm probably going to need it."

"About that." Sam fixed a stern look on his son in law. "I don't suppose I could talk _you_ into finding another line of work?"

"Dad."

"I'm only asking." He glanced at his daughter briefly, but persisted. "It was one thing when you were on your own, but now you have a wife and a baby on the way. Don't you think they deserve some consideration?"

"Sam, I joined the FBI because I wanted to help people." Clark sat forward and Lois' hand slipped down into his to give him her support. "It's who I am. Every day I wake up with a purpose."

"I understand that." He nodded. "But don't you think that purpose should be focused on your family now?"

"Dad." Lois got her father's attention. "I wouldn't ask Clark to change his career for me any more than he would ask me to quit my job for him. And as much as I don't like it when he's away for so long, to ask him to do anything else would mean that he wouldn't be the man I agreed to spend the rest of my life with."

"I just don't want him to miss out the way I did." His head dipped and then he shrugged before he looked at Clark again. "I don't want him to look back and regret that he missed out on seeing his children grow up."

Clark hadn't thought about that, not really. And the idea of missing out on his baby's life made him sigh.

"Clark Kent, don't you dare." He heard her low voice near his ear and she knew what he'd been thinking. "You're not Dad."

"But I'm going to _be_ a dad." Clark replied quietly and to his consternation, his eyes were suddenly moist.

"Come with me." Lois stood up and held her hand out to him. When he stood up next to her and took it, she looked at her father and his parents. "We'll be right back."

"Don't forget to bundle up. I know it's March, but it's still cold out there." Clark could hear the concern in his mother's voice as Lois headed toward the front hall with her husband in tow.

She grabbed a scarf from the coat rack and covered her head before winding the ends around her neck and then stuck her arms through the sleeves of the coat that Clark held out for her. While she buttoned it up and pulled a pair of gloves out of the pockets, he wrapped a scarf around his neck and shrugged into his coat.

Lois opened the door while he buttoned up his own coat and then followed her outside, closing the door behind him. She then took his arm, leading him down the porch stairs and away from the house.

There were large patches of snow on the ground as they walked out of the yard and strolled toward the barn. A late winter snowstorm had blown through earlier in the week, but it hadn't warmed up enough to melt the last of the slush.

"Clark, my father means well." She finally said. "And in his own ham handed way, he's still trying to protect his family."

"He does have a point, you know." Clark felt the need to tell her. "We never considered that we'd be starting our family so soon after we got married."

"Who does?" She looked up at him and he could see the moonlight reflecting in her eyes. "I figured that I'd be working for awhile before I became a mother. But that didn't happen, did it?"

"It wouldn't be fair to you or to the baby for me to be gone so much."

"And it wouldn't be fair to you to give up something that you love doing." Her voice was soft, but firm with conviction. "In spite of the fact that you're gone so much, which I know you don't like very much either, you love your work. And for me to ask you to change that would change _you_."

"Lois." She was making it too easy.

"Don't 'Lois' me." She chided him gently with a tug on his sleeve. "I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry you. My dad's heart is in the right place but I already told you, you aren't him. Besides, we have something he didn't."

"What's that?" He sighed and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Our parents." She put her cheek on his shoulder and held onto his arm as they walked. "Luce and I didn't have the chance to grow up around family, but this one will. And you'll be around as much as you can, which is a lot more often than you seem to think."

"I don't know about that."

"Part of this is my fault." Lois stopped in mid stride and sighed. "I meant what I said about knowing what I got myself into before we got married, but I seemed to forget that when I found out that I was going to have a baby."

"When you found out that _we_ were going to have a baby." He teased her and felt her nod.

"You're right. Because I certainly didn't get into this by myself." She laughed softly. "Not that I mind at all."

"I was happy to help." He laughed with her and sighed again. But this time, he could feel the weight that had begun to settle on his heart, ease.

"And I was happy to let you." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "But in the meantime, I'd really like to get back to the house. My feet are freezing."

"I think I can help you with that." And without any warning as to what he was going to do, Clark picked her up in his arms. She looped her arms around his neck and he saw her face flush; though that could have just been from the cold air.

"I do have two perfectly good feet, you know."

"Two perfectly good feet that you just told me are cold." He reminded her. "So what kind of a husband would I be if I let my wife walk back to our house with cold feet?"

She seemed to ponder whether to argue with him, but in the end she gave him a light shrug and put her head down on his shoulder; and then she laughed. "The last time I had cold feet was on our wedding night. But you took care of that very nicely."

"With a lot of help from you." He couldn't help but chuckle and got a punch in the arm for his trouble, which only made him laugh more.

"Well, since you have me in your arms, why don't you take me upstairs?" Her head bobbed up and she smiled at him. "We've given them the news now. So if you don't mind, I'd like to spend the rest of the evening alone with my husband."

"I don't mind." He assured her with a nod and pressed a kiss to her lips as he carried her back.

"I didn't think you would." She put her head back down and didn't say another word as he got her inside the house. He closed the door behind them and as Clark moved to set her on her feet, Lois shook her head. "You're not done being my pack mule just yet."

"What was I thinking?" He laughed softly and looked into the parlor only to see the amused faces of their parents. "I've been given a direct order to get my wife upstairs, so I think this is going to be good night."

"It's best you learn early, son." Sam didn't bother hiding a grin. "Never disobey a direct order from a Lane."

"Even when she's not a Lane anymore." The former Lane and newest Kent reminded her father from the shelter of Clark's arms.

"You may not have the name any more." He was still grinning. "But you'll always be my daughter."

"That's true." She agreed with a smile. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Lo." His grin softened. "Sleep well."

"We will."

"Goodnight, you two." Dad looked suspiciously as though he was trying not to laugh.

"Don't let him keep you up, Lois." Mom gave him her best chastising look, but it was tempered with a gentle smile. "I know he just got home, but now is the time when you should be getting your rest."

"Don't worry, Martha." Lois assured her. "I'll make sure he keeps his hands to himself."

"I'd like to see you try." He remarked under his breath, but her wide eyes and flushed cheeks told him she'd heard every word. She leaned close to his ear and he felt his chest tighten at the feel of her warm breath against his skin as she giggled in his ear.

"I'm telling."

"I dare you." He challenged and then kissed her nose.

She opened her mouth and for a brief moment, Clark wondered if she was actually going to say something. She must have seen a look on his face, mirroring the very thought and she laughed again before answering low in his ear. "Give me some credit, will you? I know who keeps me warm at night."

"Shelby?" He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Say good night, Clarkie." She brushed her lips across his cheek and put her head on his shoulder.

"Goodnight." He looked at their parents and shrugged before he carried his wife up the stairs, without any intention of keeping his hands to himself.


	4. Life's Little Changes

**Chapter 3: Life's Little Changes**

It had been an unexpected call from Kansas City that had Clark on a late train the previous Sunday evening and had Lois sleeping alone, again. But in truth, for the next six months even with Clark away, she would still be sharing their bed with a Kent.

She was really beginning to appreciate what they had done now that he was home and he knew. It helped as well, that she wasn't throwing up every morning any more and having to hide it from her husband's parents.

Lois had always had a strong constitution and Dad liked to tell her that she got it from him. She had to admit that he was probably right, because she never remembered her father ever being sick.

It was because of her good health that a month after she and Clark were married, she became concerned when the smell of her mother in law's coffee sent her to the bathroom and she was on her knees losing her dinner from the night before.

Initially, she thought it might be the flu because the base hospital at Fort Ryan was on alert against another epidemic. The last time there had been an outbreak of the influenza was in 1918 when she and Lucy were little girls. She was only five, but she had a vague memory of her father's worry that he might lose his daughters as well as his wife.

Her mother was slowly dying of cancer and Dad was afraid that she would be taken in the epidemic. Though he admitted to Lois years later that it would have been a mercy to have her taken then, instead of ending up suffering the way she ultimately did.

As had become a habit since she found out she was expecting, Lois found her hand resting gently on her abdomen as she was getting ready for work that early Monday morning. Even though Dr. Francis told her it was much too soon, she wanted to be able to feel something. But he told her she probably wouldn't feel anything for another month and a half.

Truthfully, even though she knew she was going to have a baby, it wasn't really going to hit home until she could feel that new life move inside of her. And if it was at all possible, she wanted Clark home when that happened.

She'd called Lionel the night before to tell him that she would be at the Falcon at her regular time on Monday and asked if he would be there because there were some things she wanted to talk to him about.

He promised to meet her at the club and as she stood in front of the full length mirror trying to zip up her skirt, she found that she couldn't; not quite.

'_There goes another skirt for the duration.' _She thought and then felt a tear roll down her cheek.

She didn't realize that she was crying until she felt the gentle hands of her mother in law on her arms. "It's all right, Lois." Her soft voice soothed. "When you get home tonight, we'll go through the things you want to keep wearing and we can fix them."

Lois shook her head and brushed the back of her hand against her forehead. "It's so silly."

"What is, honey?" Martha sounded concerned.

"Crying over clothes." She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "I was trying so hard to hide all of this until I could tell Clark that I didn't want to admit that my clothes weren't fitting as well. I kept thinking that if I didn't think about it, I could just ignore the whole thing until he got home."

"You know nature doesn't work that way." She gently rubbed Lois's shoulder. "It forges ahead whether you want it to or not."

"I know." She nodded reluctantly, feeling silly at the thought.

"So why the tears, then?"

"I don't know." She shook her head again because she really had no idea.

"I think I might know why." Martha answered and took her hand, leading her to the bed. She sat down and indicated to Lois to sit down next to her before taking her hand again. "You're starting on the greatest journey a woman takes in her life and the end of it; you'll bring a new life into the world. And I think it's only natural at a time like this that a woman wants her mother with her."

"Martha." Lois shook her head again, _it wasn't that. _"I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."

"And I appreciate that, more than you know." Her mother in law nodded with a smile. "The truth is; I wouldn't be any where else but here. But the fact remains; I'm not your mother."

"No." She hesitated in saying it, even though it was true. The fact was she didn't want to hurt the woman who had mothered her since Clark had brought her out to the farm all those months ago. "But you're the closest thing I've had to a mother and I'm so glad you _are_ here."

"So am I, Lois." She brushed a lock of hair behind Lois's shoulder. "Because I get to see you carry my first grandchild for the next few months and be there when that little one is born. Thank you."

"I did have a _little_ help in that department." She laughed self-consciously, not wanting to embarrass Clark's mother. It was one thing to say something to fluster her own husband, but Martha Kent was a completely different situation.

"That you did." She laughed with her and grasped Lois' hand warmly in hers. "And he's a very lucky young man to have found you."

"Due in no small part because of the FBI." Lois felt her face warm as the memory of their first meeting flitted across her mind and she sighed. _How times had changed._

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking how differently my life would have turned out if Clark hadn't been sent back here." She admitted softly. "I wouldn't have met him, or you and Jonathan. I might not have started talking to Dad again and I certainly wouldn't be carrying this little stowaway." She put her hand on her abdomen and rubbed it gently.

Martha laughed again and raised an eyebrow. "Your father's description, no doubt."

Lois let out an unexpected giggle and nodded again. "That's what he called Michael when we found out Lucy was unexpectedly expecting."

"Your father doesn't mince words, I'll give him that."

"In his line of work, he can't." She shrugged. "That's what he meant when he told you that my mother didn't have time to smooth out the rough edges. With her gone, he didn't have the shelter of a real home to get time away from that part of his life."

"I'm sorry, honey." Martha rubbed her hand sympathetically.

"You don't need to apologize." Lois tried to reassure her. "Lucy and I didn't have the most conventional upbringing, but our kids are going to. And knowing that Dad loves us, even though he has a hard time saying it, makes all the difference."

"You're going to be a wonderful mother, Lois."

"That's what your dopey son said." She shook her head with amusement. "But as long as I have him to help me, I'll be all right."

"That dopey son of mine is going to be a wonderful father, too." Lois got a firm hug from her dopey husband's mother. "In the meantime, I don't want to make you late for work so I'll get out of your way."

When she moved to stand up, Lois grabbed for Martha's hand. She stopped her because it had crept into her mind that if something should ever happen to Clark, not that it would, she'd have his parent's to help her raise their child. But she lost the nerve to voice that thought and instead smiled. "I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to have you and Jonathan as my in laws."

Martha seemed to sense that it wasn't what she really wanted to say, but ultimately said nothing about it. "Jonathan and I are grateful to have you as our in law, too." She flushed at the compliment and then smiled. "If you think you can handle it, I've got breakfast ready downstairs. And if you still can't drink coffee, I'll make you some cocoa instead."

_That sounded really good._

And then her stomach gurgled which Clark's mother apparently heard because she laughed out loud. "I'll take that as a yes."

"From the both of us." Lois felt her own face flush with embarrassment, but smiled just the same. "I'll jerry-rig something so I can at least wear my skirt and then find a blouse that I can leave un-tucked and look presentable."

Martha looked thoughtful for a moment before she walked to the closet and sorted through the blouses Lois had hanging there. She came up with something that had short sleeves, a Peter Pan collar and a flared hem.

"How about this? You can wear it out and it won't be obvious." She held it up to show Lois before walking it to the bed and setting it down on the foot. "As far as your skirt is concerned, I'll get a safety pin out of my sewing box and you can use that to close the waistband so it will be comfortable for you."

"It's things like this that make me so happy you're here." Lois smiled gratefully at her and found her hand on her abdomen again. "We both are."

"You can thank me if it works." She laughed softly. "In the meantime, let me get that pin."

Before she could get to the door, there was a knock on the other side. _"Lois, Lionel Luthor is downstairs. He said he thought he'd save you a trip into town and talk to you here."_

"I'll be down in a minute."

_Save her a trip into town? _That couldn't be good.

"_I'll tell him." _Came her father in law's reply and she heard the sound of his work boots thump down the hall as he headed for the stairs.

"Something tells me I'm getting another day off." Lois sighed and picked the blouse up from the bed.

"Honey, if you want to work then tell him so." Martha remarked. "You said he probably suspected that you were going to have a baby, so this might be his way of trying to help."

"He can help by letting me work." She frowned. "Because the more I work, the less time I have to miss Clark when he's not here."

"If _that's_ all it is, I can keep you plenty busy around here." Clark's mother laughed. "Another pair of hands would always be appreciated."

"I'll remember that." Lois sighed and then sat down.

"Are you feeling all right?" She could hear the worry and promptly nodded. "Maybe you _should_ take another day."

"I'm fine, really." She tried to assure the older woman. "I'm still trying to adjust to the idea that I'm not just _me_ anymore. And until I can feel this little one start to move around, the only way I can tell that I'm expecting is that my clothes don't fit anymore."

"We'll do something about that for today and my offer still stands if you want my help with any alterations."

Lois looked at her mother in law and couldn't help but laugh. "Considering that I can't sew to save my life, I'll take you up on that."

"Good. Because it _is_ so much easier to sew now than when my mother was a girl. Sewing machines were still a luxury then and she did her stitching by hand. When I was growing up, she had a treadle machine and I learned pretty quickly that if I didn't keep my foot moving at the same tempo, my stitches would come out uneven. Thank goodness for the electric machines we have now. It makes sewing so much easier."

As Lois listened while Martha talked, she slipped into her blouse and buttoned up the front. She gave herself a critical look in the mirror and was unsure about what she saw.

"You might want to think about getting some flat heeled shoes when you get farther along." She suggested as Lois stepped into a pair of heels. "The extra weight you'll be carrying is going to be hard on your back, as I found out when I was carrying Clark."

"We're going to have to think about a bassinet and a changing table and-" She looked around the room. "And fit it all in here."

"One thing at a time." Martha put her hands on Lois's arms again. "Let's get you squared away first and then we'll start getting things squared away for the baby."

"Okay." Lois nodded her agreement and took another glance in the mirror. "But in the meantime, do I look presentable?"

"You look fine and you look radiant."

She was dubious, to say the least; but there _was_ a bright side. "At least I'm not throwing up as much."

"There is that." Martha laughed and gave Lois another hug. "Why don't you run a brush through your hair and meet me down the hall so we can fix that skirt." She stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

Lois looked at her reflection again and wondered what it was that her mother in law saw. All Lois saw was someone whose complexion was a little too pale and had the faint look of dark circles under her eyes.

The truth of it was, she felt pudgy and that was a new feeling for her. She'd always had to watch her figure because of the form fitting dresses she'd had to wear as a singer and to see that figure disappearing as it changed to accommodate a baby, it was a big adjustment.

But before she could start to feel sorry for herself, what the General would have called weakness; Lois shook herself out of her musings and became annoyed with herself.

It was true that she and Clark hadn't really discussed when they wanted to start a family. And it was also true that it was bound to happen sooner rather than later because they made love so often. Lois felt a smile pull at her lips at the thought because she realized that the old adage about absence making the heart grow fonder was true. And making up for lost time held a whole new meaning for her since they got married.

It wasn't always going to be like that. Because after the baby came, she was going to have to give so much of her attention to their little one and could only hope that Clark would be just as understanding as he was now.

She found her hand on her abdomen again and rubbed a gentle hand across the slight swell as she took one last look before she turned away from the mirror and walked to the door. Martha was standing in the doorway of her bedroom holding up a safety pin as Lois came to a stop on front of her.

"How long do you figure before safety pins are rationed?" She couldn't help but laugh and the older woman smiled back.

"Speaking of pins, you should probably buy diaper pins before they're turned in for a scrap drive." Martha suggested as she turned Lois around. She lifted up the back of her blouse and felt the waistband of her skirt tighten. "Is that too tight?"

"If you'd loosen it just a scooch, I'll be fine." Lois told her and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when the waistband slackened. "That's perfect."

A moment later Martha patted her on the back. "You're all set, honey."

"Thank you." Lois dropped the back of her blouse and smoothed it down.

"Lois, you look fine." The words tried to reassure her. "Now head on down to the parlor and I'll finish getting your breakfast together."

"All right." She nodded as Martha walked down the hall toward the staircase going down to the kitchen and she took the stairs down to the front hall.

She saw Jonathan stoking the fire and Lionel was sitting on the couch. She walked into the parlor and when Lionel saw her, he put the mug he'd been holding down on the coffee table and stood up. "Good morning, Lionel. What brings you out here?"

"Good morning, Lois." He smiled at her. "I know we agreed to meet at the Falcon, but under the circumstances I thought it was better if I come out here. In fact, I thought it might be a good idea if you worked at home today, so I brought all the files from your inbox with me."

Maybe being married to an FBI agent was starting to rub off on her because Lois was immediately suspicious; Lionel wouldn't make the offer if he didn't have a reason. And when he pulled her files out of his briefcase and put them on the coffee table, she found out why. "My daughter in law has decided to make her presence felt at the Falcon and I suspect she did it because she wants to make some trouble for you."

_Great. _

"Hasn't that girl done enough?" Jonathan's irritated voice made Lois start. It wasn't in her father in law's nature to be short tempered. "And now with-"

Lois caught his eye and gave him a subtle shake of her head as she tried to telegraph the message, _'He doesn't know yet'_.

He seemed to understand what she was trying to tell him because he nodded and then turned to put the fire screen back in place. "If you want to work in my office today, it's all yours." He turned back and smiled at her. "Martha uses it more than I do anyway."

"Thank you."

"No thanks are necessary, Lois." He put his hand up. "It looks like it's going to snow again, so I'd better get out to the barn and close it up."

Jonathan walked out to the kitchen and Lois heard him laugh. "Martha Kent, are you listening to _Ma Perkins_ again? I thought you told me that those radio serials were nothing but tommyrot."

She answered his laugh and Lois smiled at Martha's cheeky response. "This coming from the man who decides that he needs to take his coffee break at the same time every morning when, strangely enough, _Perry Mason_ just happens to be on."

"Point taken." He chuckled and Lois would bet that he was kissing her cheek. "I'm going to close up the barn and then I need to get the milking done." And he chuckled again. "Unless Lois would like to do it for me."

Lois felt her face warm as she thought about the last time she'd milked the Kent's cow. And before she had a chance to answer, Martha did it for her. "Lois has more important things to do than milk a cow, Jonathan Kent."

"She _is_ an official member of the family now."

"Who is going to-" She stopped suddenly, so Jonathan must have waived her off. And to her credit, she recovered without a hitch. "Be too busy with her paper work to get hand cramp milking."

She saw Lionel with a soft smile on his face and he was shaking his head.

"What is it?" Lois asked him quietly.

"Your mother and father in law." He told her. "They have the kind of relationship that I was too busy to have with my wife. It wasn't until she got sick that I tried to remedy that, but by then it was too late."

"I don't think so, Lionel." Lois tried to reassure him and the look he gave her was one of surprise. "You told me once that the last few months she was alive were the happiest of your life. I'll bet they were the happiest for her, too."

"She was a strong willed woman, my Lillian and she had the biggest heart of anyone I'd ever known. You're very much like her in that way." He patted her hand lightly, almost self-consciously. He then frowned slightly before seeming to give himself a mental shake. "So. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

_Here goes nothing._

"You've probably figured it out already, but I wanted you to hear it from me." She took a breath and let it out. "Clark and I are going to have a baby."

"This is wonderful news, my dear." To Lois's surprise, Lionel's eyes began to tear and he blinked to clear them. "Wonderful news. And that is precisely why I felt the need to make the trip out here. With Lana making herself at home at the Falcon again, I would feel more comfortable if you continued your job here at home."

"Lionel." Lois had never run from trouble before and she wasn't about to start now.

"Hear me out, please." He patted her hand again. "I did have the feeling that you were anticipating and because of that, I felt it incumbent upon myself to contact the field office with some unsettling information."

Those somber words sent a chill up her back and Lois didn't like where the conversation was suddenly going. So she took another breath to try and stay calm. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"My telephone call was the reason Clark was ordered to Kansas City." His grip tightened. "I overheard my daughter in law making inquiries as to the whereabouts of the person responsible for trying to shoot you all those months ago. She's being very coy about all of it, of course, and has insisted that she's done no such thing. But knowing how she fees about you, I wouldn't be at all surprised."

Lois felt light headed all of a sudden and had the overwhelming urge to throw up. But it wasn't the morning sickness this time. "You'll need to excuse me."

Lionel stood up and pulled her gently up to her feet. "I'm very sorry."

All she could manage to do was nod as she made a beeline for the stairs and rushed up as fast as she was able. Without a second to spare, she slammed the bathroom door behind her in her haste and struggled down to her knees.

This was not how she wanted to start her day.

oooooo

He'd been there before and the sense of déjà vu didn't escape him.

Clark sat out side Director Kelly's office and had to curb the urge to look at his watch. Those sorts of things didn't go unnoticed and it wouldn't serve him well because he was already annoyed at having been called back when he'd just started his leave.

It never used to be an issue, because he didn't have a personal life to speak of. The job was all he had and Clark had preferred it that way. It meant no serious entanglements to get in the way of being able to do his job and it had worked like a charm until he was sent back to Kansas on a temporary assignment.

Meeting Lois had changed all of that and he smiled.

He heard the desk phone of Mr. Kelly's secretary buzz and she picked up the receiver. She nodded and then glanced over at Clark. "Yes, sir. He's here." And she nodded again. "I'll send him right in." She replaced the receiver and smiled at him. "Agent Kent, the Director is ready to see you now."

"Thank you." He stood up, gripping his hat in his hand. He walked to the door and opened it, stepping into Mr. Kelly's office and was motioned to his desk. Clark stopped again, feeling as though history were repeating itself. "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

"Have a seat, Kent." He indicated a chair. "How is your lovely wife?"

"She's fine, sir." Clark frowned in confusion as he sat down, because he knew he hadn't been called into the field director's office just to be asked about Lois.

"That's good." He nodded and got a look on his face that told Clark he didn't have good news. "I'm going to need you to stay in Smallville for awhile and keep an eye on her."

"Keep an eye on her?" He tried to keep his voice level as he felt his heart squeeze in his chest and not sound like a panicked husband, which at the moment he was because he couldn't help but think about the baby. "Why?"

"There is a very real possibility that your wife may be in harms way again." He was too matter of fact for Clark's liking.

"Sir?"

"Lionel Luthor called me Saturday afternoon to tell me that she may be in the cross-hairs of his daughter in law."

_Lana._

"I'm not sure I understand." In fact Clark did, but his affair with her had never been common knowledge."

"I think you do, son."

_Or maybe not._

"The name of this organization you and I serve is the Federal Bureau of Investigation." He sighed and sat back. "But the letters FBI also stand for Fidelity, Bravery and _Integrity_."

He made a point of emphasizing the last word.

"Yes, sir."

"Kent, we don't expect our unmarried agents to live like monks. But we _do_ expect them to have a modicum of discretion and certainly, better sense than to become involved with married women." The Director's voice rose in agitation and Clark knew he was in serious trouble.

"Yes, sir." He said again; what else _could_ he say? "I don't suppose I need to ask how you found out about that."

Mr. Kelly shook his head. "He wouldn't have said anything if it weren't pertinent to the situation, because it didn't make a lot of sense to me why the wife of a saloon owner would go after the girl who used to be their singer."

"I hadn't seen Lana for a few weeks before I went to talk to Lois that night."

"And do I need to ask if you became romantically involved with Mrs. Kent while the case was still ongoing?"

"No." His short answer was tantamount to a confession.

"You know I should take your shield for this." He told Clark something he already knew and was vaguely surprised that it never happened. "If you weren't one of our best field agents and had a spotless record, your ass would be out my office door faster than you could say 'Tokyo Rose'." He looked more disappointed than upset and it was a reminder of how his parents had felt. "Were you intimate with your wife before you were married?"

"No, sir." _But it wasn't because he hadn't thought about it. _"We waited."

"It's all water under the bridge now." He sat forward with another sigh and rest his forearms on the desk. "This unsavory business of your dalliance with the Luthor woman will stay between us and won't be put into your service record, even though it should."

"I appreciate that, sir."

"I don't want your appreciation." He waved a dismissive hand. "Now the information Lionel Luthor relayed to me indicates that Lana Luthor may be trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the shooter who went after your wife."

"Why-" Clark started to ask and then stopped.

'_Why do you think?' _He asked himself and then started to shake. Fear and rage were suddenly warring inside of him and if Clark were completely honest, guilt as well. Because of him and his indiscretion, Lois was again unsafe. But this time, it wasn't just her; their baby could be in danger, too.

"I'm sending you back to _The Daily Planet_ to resume your cover as a reporter and to find out who the hell this fellow is since we never caught him the first time. Perry White knows you're coming and he'll expect you bright and early Monday morning."

That meant he was going to be wearing those glasses again. _Great._

"I don't suppose I have a say about this."

"No." Came the short answer. "Given the resources that the _Planet_ has, it should help you in finding whoever Mrs. Luthor is trying to contact."

"Sir, there _is_ something you should know, in light of the circumstances." Clark hesitated for a moment. "My wife and I are going to have a baby."

To say that he looked stunned would be putting it mildly and then almost under his breath, he swore. "Damn. That's the cherry on the sundae, isn't it?" And given what Lionel Luthor has told me, that wouldn't go over very well with his daughter in law, would it?"

"Can't we arrest her? Since it's not exactly a secret what she may do-"

"We need solid proof, Kent. You know that." He sat back in his chair. "But all we have at the moment is hearsay. If we could find out who that shooter is and get a hold of him before she does, he might give us the Luthor woman if we offered him a deal."

"As long as Lois stays at the farm, she'll be safe." Clark sat forward. "Unless Lana had me followed, she doesn't know where I live."

"The operative word being unless, so here's what we're going to do. We'll put a couple of agents out at your parent's farm and if anyone asks, they're hired hands."

Clark shook his head. "That won't work. None of the farmers in Lowell County can afford to hire extra hands, so they all help each other out."

"Then what would _you_ suggest?"

"I think it would make sense to use _me_. I already live at the farm and people in Smallville know me so I'd be able to come and go without any notice. If there were any strangers near my parent's place, they would be told and since my wife trusts me, she won't argue with me."

"I take it she gave you a hard time when you first took her out to the farm?" A shadow of a smile crossed his face, but just as quickly it was gone.

"She let me know she wasn't happy with my decision." He recalled. "But when I made it clear that she could have ended up dead, she saw reason."

"It was that close?"

Clark nodded and remembered how worried for her he'd been, even though he didn't know her yet. "A couple of feet, at most."

"That close." He blew out a breath and then sat up. "I usually refrain from assigning agents to guard family members. But it seems to me that with what you and your wife have at stake, you'll both do what you need to keep her safe and hopefully we can put that little hellion behind bars where she should have stayed after she shot you."

"He didn't say as much, but I think Mr. Luthor believes he owes it to Lex."

"That doesn't make sense, because the Luthor marriage isn't exactly a happy one."

Clark shrugged. "Lois told me that he feels guilty because he wasn't around much when Lex was growing up and maybe in his own way thought he was making it up to him."

"Even though Luthor hates his wife?" Mr. Kelly looked at him with a perplexed look on his face. "I have to admit I don't understand that."

"I don't either." He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, knowing more about the situation than he wished he did. "But I do know that they _had_ to get married."

"Ah, the proverbial shot gun wedding." He nodded his head. "Not the best way to start off a marriage. But I've never heard mention of a Luthor grandchild."

"That's because she miscarried not long after they got married."

"And I gather not long after that, she set her sights on you?" He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Sir, I'm not going to make excuses for my bad judgment because I did know better." Clark wanted to explain. "But I'd never gotten that kind of attention from a woman before and I didn't realize she was married-"

"Until after she reeled you in." Mr. Kelly seemed to understand his predicament and nodded. "So would you care to explain how you let yourself get involved with the woman who became your wife?"

"It's simple, really. She decided to help me with my investigation because she wanted to go home." Clark couldn't help but smile at the memory. "And at the time, I'd gotten someone else's attention and couldn't get her to understand that I didn't see her that way. So when Lois showed up one morning at the _Planet_, I introduced her as my girl."

"And having met her, I can see why you fell for her." He remarked and leaned forward, putting his hands down flat on his desk. "All right. So, are all your cards on the table now? I'm not going to be blindsided by some other revelation?"

"No, sir. That's it." Clark let out a sigh and for the first time since he'd told Lois about his indiscretion with Lana, he felt like he could finally breathe. He wasn't hiding from it anymore.

The Director stood up and put out his hand. When Clark stood up and took it, he was frowning again. "If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to contact me. I'll have to report this situation to the pencil pushers in Washington because it involves an agent. But I'll explain that it has to do with Mrs. Kent's role in convicting Luthor, they don't need to know the real reason."

"Yes, sir."

"You'd better get home and tell your wife about this." He stepped from behind the desk and walked to his office door. "It also means that your leave has been effectively cancelled and you're back on duty, at home and at the _Planet_."

Clark was hoping he'd changed his mind about that.

"Kent, we all make mistakes and it's what we learn from those mistakes that make us better agents. And I expect that once this matter is resolved, you'll be a greater asset to us than ever." And he opened the door.

"Thank you, sir."

"Give my best to your wife and my congratulations."

"I'll do that." They shook hands again before Clark stepped out of the office and the door was closed behind him.

He caught the first train he could back to Smallville after he called his father asking him to meet him at the station, making the decision not to go into any details about his meeting with the field director until they got back to the farm.

As the train rolled into the station the next afternoon, he caught a glimpse not only of his father, but his wife as well, both waiting for him on the platform.

And as it always did when he saw her, his heart hitched in his chest.

She wasn't showing yet, but the fact that she was expecting made her even more beautiful. Or was it the fact that it was _his_ baby she was expecting? It didn't really matter because they were both his, anyway.

He'd never felt so possessive before about anyone in his life and it was still such a new feeling for him. But he knew the possessive streak Lois had about him was just as strong.

Metal wheels screeched against metal rails as the train came to a slow, lumbering stop and when the train finally stopped jerking, Clark bent over to pick up his suitcase. And after he straightened up again and looked out the window of the Dutch door, Dad was nowhere to be found. But Lois was still there, standing by herself.

She looked too pale for his liking and he wondered how bad her morning sickness was. Before he'd been called to Kansas City he'd gotten up in the early morning hours when he heard her bolt for the bathroom and helped her through the ordeal, over her tearful objections. She kept trying to reassure him that she was fine, but even his mother had looked a little worried later in the day when she would disappear without warning.

Dad was the only one who seemed not to be overly concerned and reminded him and his mother that if something were really wrong, Lois would let them know. _'We all love her and want what's best for her.'_ He'd told them. _'But if we hover around like a gaggle of mother hens, it's just going to make her anxious.'_

He was right, of course. But it still didn't stop the troubled look that furrowed his father's brow as he peaked surreptitiously around the morning addition of the _Smallville Ledger,_ his eyes following her up the stairs.

And his parent's did love her; Clark had no doubt in his mind about that. Even before she found out she was expecting, they'd treated her no differently than they treated their own son and it was one of the things Lois loved so much about them. They treated her like a daughter.

"Hi ya, Handsome." Lois smiled at him as Clark stepped off the train and stopped in front of her, setting his suitcase down.

She hadn't called him that in a while and he smiled back. "Hi ya, Gorgeous. Miss me?"

"How can I miss you when I have a constant reminder of you?" She giggled as he picked her up and the feel of her arms around his neck made him sigh with contentment. _He was home._

"In case you've forgotten, I did have some help from you." He should have thought about how it would look before he nuzzled her neck and caught the scent of lilacs.

"Clark." Her soft whisper in his ear reminded him of where they were and he set her down, reluctantly. He knew he should apologize, but couldn't bring himself to do it and her gloved hand touched his cheek; her face flushed. "I know."

"Let's get home." He picked up his suitcase with one hand and took Lois' hand with the other. It wasn't often that he held her hand; she usually took his arm, but that afternoon he wanted to feel the reassuring press of her hand against his, gloves or not.

They walked quietly, hand in hand down the platform toward his father's truck and he wanted so much to tell her what he'd found out; but it wasn't something he could mention casually. He felt it would be better if he sat her and his parents down once he got back to the farm and told them what Mr. Kelly had told him.

"Clark? Honey, we need to talk." _Honey? _Lois _never_ called him 'honey'. And the way she sighed put him on alert because he immediately thought something might have happened with the baby and she didn't know how to tell him.

"Are you all right?" He blurted out, not thinking how it might sound and her troubled look made him worry even more. "Is it the-?"

"We're both fine, really." She interrupted him with a nod. "But there _is_ someone who isn't fine. In fact she's-"

"Lana." It was a stab in the dark, but it was the only thing he could think of.

"He should have let the judge put her in that loony bin and thrown away the key." She stopped and gripped his hand. "Lionel came to talk to me yesterday. Apparently, Lana has started showing up at the Falcon and he thinks she's doing it to make trouble for us."

"Hasn't she done enough?" He grasped Lois' hand tightly in his. _How much longer was he going to have to pay for the mistake he made?_ "And why isn't she under home confinement?"

The question was rhetorical, but she answered just the same.

"I don't know."

"And what happens when she finds out about the baby?" He glanced down at the front of her coat and then back up into her eyes. "What happens when you start showing?"

He had this sudden and very unsettling vision of Lois taking a header down a flight of stairs and wondered if Lana was really capable of giving her that push.

It worried him that he was so certain of the answer.

"That's why he came to see me." Lois' soft voice shook him out of his musing. "He wants me to work from the farm for the time being. He thinks it would be better for the both of us."

_Her and the baby is what she meant._

"Lois." Clark gave her a stern look and knew he was about to ask the impossible.

"Don't even think about it, buster." She read his unspoken thought and shook her head as she started to walk again, pulling him behind her. "I'm not quitting."

"Lois, I wouldn't even think to mention it if it were just about you because I know you can take care of yourself. But-"

She cut him off as she stopped again and this time, let go of his hand to put hers on the front her coat. "Are you saying I can't take care of this little one?"

"I'm not saying that at all." He shook his head and knew a storm was brewing; a bad one. "I'm just saying that you don't always think before you jump headlong into something."

And the moment the words came out, the storm broke.

_Good one, Kent._

"You _are_ saying that." The look on her face made him wince because she was all at once angry and deeply disappointed in him. "I thought we knew each other better than that."

"We do, it's just that-"

"It's just that, _what_?" She stormed down the platform, tossing the words over her shoulder. "I'm irresponsible, impetuous, stubborn?"

"Not irresponsible." It was bad enough that he'd started digging himself into a hole, but why did he insist on making it deeper?

"But I'm impetuous and stubborn?" She kept walking and Clark couldn't remember ever seeing her so angry.

'_Well whose fault is that?' _He asked himself and sighed as he tried to keep up with her. And yet his brain wasn't sending the signal for him to shut up because he was getting angry, too. "Yes."

He stopped her by grabbing her arm and turned her to face him. "You seem to forget that when you were under protective custody at my parent's farm, you took a train into Metropolis without telling me and worried them half to death. The whole idea of you being there was so that Lex would believe you were staying with your father."

"I was trying to help." She wouldn't back down and he couldn't help but admire her for it.

"All you did was complicate things." He replied and if he hadn't been so worked up, would have immediately regretted the remark. It was because she'd tried to help that he now had a wife who was expecting their baby.

"And things weren't already complicated?" She pulled her arm out of his grip and leaned close; her eyes flashing with anger as she kept her voice low. "You were intimate with someone who was _married_! You were taking another man's wife into your bed and-" She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath.

"When I was still singing, there were some people that assumed that Lex and I-" Her face flushed a deep red and she stepped back. "But we never did because I had better judgment than _some_ people I know."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked the rest of the way on her own, while Clark stood there, stunned. They'd just had their first real fight since they'd been married and he felt sick to his stomach.

It was the first time she'd thrown his affair in his face and he knew he deserved it. She'd never said anything like it before because she'd often told him that it wasn't any of her business.

But it didn't stop her from being hurt and it hurt him knowing he was responsible for that.

By the time he got to his father's truck, Lois was already inside the cab and her face was still flushed. He'd bet that she was making a Herculean effort not to cry in front of Dad and it showed.

After he laid his suitcase down in the truck bed, he opened the door and got in. Lois sat up ramrod straight and he knew she was trying not to touch him. Dad gave him a curious look, but Clark shook his head. This was between him and Lois and unless she chose to share, he wasn't going to.

On the drive back to the farm, his father made small talk to try and relieve the tension but Clark wasn't in the mood to talk and Lois refused to look at him. He kept his attention out the passenger side window and as they neared his parent's farm, he saw Mr. Hubbard out in one of his fields plowing under the soil to get it ready for spring planting.

Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like if he'd chosen to stay on the farm to run it alongside his father. Unfulfilling, came the answer because if he'd stayed on the farm he never would have met Lois.

He closed his eyes the rest of the way home because he couldn't bear that his wife was ignoring him.

He felt the truck turn as Dad drove up the lane toward the house and then felt it stop. The silence was almost explosive as he shut down the engine and Clark heard the driver's side door open.

"I'll get your suitcase for you." The sound of his father's voice got him to open his eyes and he fully expected Lois to follow him out. But as he closed his door, Lois stayed where she was.

He didn't know how long they sat there before he heard her sigh. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He answered, not sure if the storm had passed.

"But right now, I can't stand the sight of you."

_It hadn't._

"I know." He nodded his understanding.

"And just so you know, you're on the sofa." She scoot over and opened the driver's side door. "I only want to sleep with one Kent tonight."

And she slammed it shut.

_He was such an idiot._


	5. A Parent's Worry

**Chapter 4: A Parent's Worry**

He still didn't have any idea why Lois was so angry and his son hadn't enlightened him.

But Jonathan couldn't help but remember when he and Martha were first married and how they'd had to make the adjustments marriage brings to a relationship, living with _his_ parents.

His mother had done everything she could to ease his bride into the everyday life of living on a farm, but even Jonathan had to admit that Lois had a leg up on Martha because she'd lived with them before she and Clark were married.

But times were different and the country was at war.

Lois was already doing what so many women were doing now, she was working and she was also trying to forge a new life with a man who found himself gone so much because of the nature of his own job. And she was doing it in her husband's childhood home; just as Martha had had to do.

He believed it was why the two Kent women in his and his son's life had formed such a strong bond with each other and now his new daughter-in-law was going to be a mother. The happiness she and Clark felt at the unexpected news had put a glow in their cheeks and that made the Grandpa-to-be smile. So it puzzled him why that glow was suddenly gone.

When Clark had returned from Kansas City the previous afternoon, Jonathan had left him alone with Lois so he could get a proper welcome home. And when she showed up at the truck sooner than he expected, his son was nowhere to be found.

She was visibly agitated and he'd had no idea why because Lois had been so eager to see her husband and he could barely contain her from running up the platform as the train came in, to meet him.

So her stiff posture as he'd driven them back to the farm worried him and it only got worse when they got back to the house.

He'd left them alone again, in the truck in hopes that they would hash out what ever was wrong. But he was disappointed on that score when he'd turned around from tending the fire to see Lois hurrying up the stairs to her room.

Clark had followed in behind her, glancing at his father and he'd shaken his head as he'd done earlier. _'This is between us, Dad.' _

It wasn't good, for either of them; but Jonathan had nodded just the same. They weren't children anymore and he couldn't treat them like it.

The chill between them didn't thaw for the rest of the day and dinner was the most awkward affair he'd ever sat through since Lois had come into their lives. She'd always been a reliable chatterbox, keeping the meal conversations lively, but not that night.

It didn't get any better when bedtime came around and Martha shot him a worried look when Clark came downstairs with blankets and a pillow, dumping them on the sofa.

Practically from the day they were married, Lois had always joked that the slightest infraction would put him on the sofa and they'd all chuckled about it because they knew she didn't mean it. So it was with a lot of worry that Jonathan and Martha saw their newlywed son actually sleeping there that night.

He was usually such a sound sleeper because he _had_ to be. Mornings always came early and he needed every bit of rest he could manage. But sleep eluded Jonathan that night and uncharacteristically, Martha had had to rouse him out of bed.

He knew she understood why he'd been so restless because she confessed to being just as restless. But what ever was happening between their son and daughter-in-law was between _them _and until, or unless they chose to enlighten their parents, it was none of their business.

Clark was still asleep when he got downstairs and sighed when he saw how fitfully his son was sleeping. It reminded him of when Clark was a little boy and would sometimes toss and turn while he slumbered. Jonathan would quiet him with a gentle hand on his hair and tell him everything was all right.

So he stopped at the back of the sofa, leaned over and put his hand on his son's hair, voicing a soft promise. "Settle down, son. Everything will be fine."

He wasn't sure it would work because his son was a grown man. But the frown on his face eventually eased and after letting out a sigh, buried his face in the pillow and calmed down.

As Jonathan watched him, it brought something to mind his father had said after Clark was born and now knew how true it was. _'No matter how old your kids get, Johnny; they're still your kids.'_

And the father in him wanted to protect _his_ kids, as well.

Before he headed out to the kitchen to start the morning coffee, something he'd done since he and Martha had been married, he walked to the fireplace and put the fire screen aside. The days were getting warmer, but the mornings were still cold and there was something about a fire that made a house more cheerful and welcoming; she'd mentioned that to him early on in their marriage and he never forgot it.

She'd actually said it after giving him a kiss that he'd felt straight down to his toes. After that, he swore he'd give her the moon and the stars just to get her to kiss him like that again.

When the fire was burning steadily, he put the fire screen back in place and turned for the kitchen. It surprised him to see Martha already there, stoking the fire in the stove. He walked out to greet her and kiss her cheek. "You're up earlier than usual."

"Our children are fighting." She grasped his arm. "In all the time we've known Lois, she's never been so quiet and our son has never looked so unhappy."

"I know." He nodded his agreement. "It's not like them to not talk and that has me worried."

"It has me worried, too." She sighed softly and kissed his cheek before she turned to put the percolator on the back burner of the stove. "But you know as well as I do that we can't treat them like kids, as much as we'd like to."

"I'd like to put the both of them over my knee." He couldn't help but grin as he sat down and opened the morning edition of _The Smallville Ledger_. "And if Lois weren't carrying our grandchild, I'd seriously consider it."

"Jonathan." His wife tried to be serious, but couldn't quite do it and laughed softly as she sat down next to him. "You never put Clark over your knee when he was a boy and you certainly would _not_ consider anything of the kind with Lois, grandchild or not."

"You're right." He agreed.

"They've been through a lot in the last few months and now they're expecting a baby." Martha shrugged and looked into his eyes. "Clark is gone so much and with that girl making trouble for Lois again-"

"What trouble?" Jonathan felt Martha start at the sound of their son's voice coming from the parlor. "Are you talking about Lana Luthor?"

They looked at each other and he wondered if he should say anything.

"Dad?" Clark walked into the kitchen looking tired and agitated, running a hand through his sleep rumpled hair.

"Son, this is something Lois needs to talk to you about."

"Probably. But she's not speaking to me at the moment." He sighed and sat down heavily across from them. "Not that I blame her. But if she weren't so stubborn-"

Martha smiled at him. "Kind of like her husband, don't you think?"

"I'm not-" He stopped and then looked down at the table; Martha must have given him her _'Don't fib'_ look. "She drives me crazy."

"And that's one of the reasons you love her so much." His mother reached over and grasped his hand. "Clark, you have to remember that Lois is going through a lot of changes right now and you have to be patient with her."

"It's not that." He shook his head. "I just worry about her."

"And something tells me that in your worry you said something you shouldn't have?" Martha asked him and Jonathan could hear a scolding tone.

"Mom, it's not just her anymore." Clark put his hands flat down on the table and looked up at them, almost defensively. "She's one of the strongest and bravest women I know and my life is so much better having her in it."

"But?" It was his turn to ask, knowing that his son wasn't finished.

"But in six months, we're _both_ going to have someone else in our lives." He answered, looking down at the table again. "I just don't want her to forget that." When he looked up again, Martha was smiling at him. His face flushed and in Lois fashion, he rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Clark, as someone who's been through what Lois is going through, I can assure you that all she's thinking about is that baby." Her gentle tone still held a scold. "And you need to trust her that she can take care of the both of them."

"I do." He looked at them and Jonathan could see that he meant it. "I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her."

"And you don't think I wonder what I'd do if anything happened to _you_?" They all looked up to see Lois on the landing of the stairs. She looked tired and pale and it crossed Jonathan's mind that she might have already been sick that morning. "And now with this little one coming, I worry even more because I don't particularly want to raise him without you."

"Lois." Clark stood up and walked to the stairs, meeting her at the bottom. "You should still be in bed."

"I'll think about it, but we need to talk first." She then looked at Jonathan and Martha. "_All_ of us. I never got to finish what I started to say."

"That's my fault."

"No kidding." She frowned at him and Jonathan dipped his head to hide a smile. She didn't mince words, that was for sure. "And if you hadn't been so annoyingly overprotective, I could have told you everything."

"Well, since we're all here I have some news, too." Clark reached out for Lois' hand and she seemed to think about it for a moment before she took it. Things were still tense between them, but he suspected that the worst of it might be over. "But you need to go first, so you can finish what you started to tell me."

She nodded and then fairly launched herself into his arms. He heard whispers from the pair and he hoped that they were patching things up. His son nodded to whatever Lois had said and she stepped away.

He took her hand again and led her to the table and waited for her to sit, but she shook her head. "You first." And after he did, she sat in his lap and put an arm around his shoulders.

The startled look on his son's face made Jonathan chuckle because he hadn't seen her do that in months, but Lois continued on as though nothing was out of the ordinary even as Clark's face flushed. "Your mom and dad already know about this because they were in the kitchen when Lionel came over, so none of this is going to come as a surprise to them."

"What is it?" He looked at her and then at them.

"She needs to tell you, son." He inclined his head toward Lois.

"I already told you that Lionel wants me to work from the farm, but it's not strictly because Lana is haunting the Falcon." She swallowed and her face paled again before she gripped Clark's hand and took a breath.

'_You can do this.' _Jonathan caught her eye and tried to telegraph the message to her with a nod and she seemed to understand when she took another breath and let it out.

"It seems that Lana still sees me as an obstacle and may be trying to get me out of the way. She's denied it, of course." She swallowed again. "But Lionel is sure that she's looking for the fellow who took those pot shots at me."

"I know." Clark told her and she looked genuinely surprised. "That's what the trip to Kansas City was about. Lionel called the field office and talked to Mr. Kelly to tell him what he'd heard. So I'm being sent back to the _Planet_ as a reporter and I've also been assigned to protect you."

"Protect _me_? You're my husband, so doesn't that disqualify you?"

"Ordinarily it would." He explained. "But I told Mr. Kelly that since I already live here and people know me, it would be less conspicuous than having other agents here and he agreed."

"So now instead of my being confined here because of Lex, I'm being confined here because of _Lana_?" She sighed and put her head down on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, honey." He pressed a kiss to her hair. "We're going to make sure and put her away this time."

"Does this mean I have to have an escort every time I go outside?" She looked up at him and Jonathan could see the worry on her face. "Again?"

"Just be observant." Clark shook his head. "Lana doesn't know where the farm is, but if at any time you feel something isn't right when you're out taking a walk, come back to the house and call me. He didn't say as much, but I have the feeling Mr. Kelly will be sending another agent out here for backup, so there'll probably be someone close by until I can get home."

"Great."

"With any luck, this'll all be over soon and you can go back into town to work." He tried to reassure her. "Or maybe-"

"Don't even say it." Lois shook her head. "We agreed it would be _my_ decision."

"We did." He nodded reluctantly and Jonathan could see how much his son wanted to insist she give up her job, but wouldn't because he knew she wanted to work. "So how will this work? Doing your job from home, I mean."

"Lionel said he'd send out whatever I need to set up an office here." She told him. "He's hired a courier service to come pick up my paper work every couple of days and leave whatever I need in the mailbox up by the main road. He said the fewer fingerprints he leaves on things, it'll make it more difficult for Lana to figure out what's going on."

"He's really worried, isn't he?" Clark asked her and the look of worry on his own face was evident. "That's why he's doing all of this."

"He's doing it as a precautionary measure." Lois answered with a shrug. "I don't think Lionel believes she'd actually _do_ anything, but he's not going to take any chances either."

"I don't like this." He shook his head. "It was different the last time because I didn't know you at the start. But now-" He shook his head again. "You're my wife and she's a real threat. And we've got so much more at stake then we did before." He pressed a hand to Lois' abdomen.

"Then do what you do best, son." Jonathan observed the protective gesture before he reached over and put his hand on Clark's arm, which at the moment was trembling badly. His baby boy was scared and there wasn't anything he could do. "Put those skills you learned at the Academy to work and put that girl away where she belongs."

"And if there is anything your father and I can do to help, just ask." Martha chimed in. "We're in this as a family and we'll face it as a family, too."

"Speaking of family, we're going to have to tell Dad about this." Lois sighed and leaned against Clark. "And knowing him, he'll insist I go to Fort Ryan."

"You're not going anywhere." He informed her and Jonathan felt Martha's hand on his arm. He looked down at her and she was trying not to laugh.

Lois' eyebrows went up at the firm command as though to say, _'Oh, really.' _But instead she giggled. "You couldn't seem to get me there fast enough the last time."

"Well if I hadn't, I probably would have ravished you." His face flushed and he was barely containing a grin. And as Jonathan figured she would, Martha admonished him.

"Clark." She shook her head, but was having an equally hard time trying not to smile.

"Martha." He tried admonishing _her_, but all the four of them did was end up laughing together.

After their amusement subsided, the tension was finally gone. Clark and Lois had gotten through their first fight, hopefully none the worst for wear, but he knew they'd take a lesson from it. They were much like him and Martha in that way and Jonathan knew their marriage would only benefit.

Clark and Lois were whispering again and Clark nodded. Lois' face flushed and Jonathan was fairly certain that they were both headed upstairs for awhile. When she stood up and held out her hand, he knew he was right.

Neither said a word.

They just smiled at him and Martha as Clark got up. When they got to the foot of the stairs he scooped up Lois into his arms, pressed a kiss to her lips and proceeded to carry her up as she curled her arms around his neck.

Lois after all, needed her rest.

oooooo

"I think it's going to be awhile before they come back down." Martha watched Lois put her head down on Clark's shoulder as he carried her upstairs. "Those two had me worried."

"We could have built a snowman in here last night, as frosty as things were." Jonathan put his hand down on hers, and then he chuckled. "But they seem to have recovered."

"I'm certainly glad about that." She laughed with him. "Our son needs to remember that Lois was taking care of herself long before she met him and she's not used to being coddled."

"Give her time, sweetheart." He grasped her hand. "She'll get used to it."

"I hope she always has a bit of that independent spirit." She squeezed his hand in return. "It's one of the reasons Clark fell in love with her."

"And now he's being sent back to _The Daily Planet_." Jonathan laughed again. "Which means he's going to be wearing those glasses again."

"Did you notice that he never told us why?" Martha stood up and walked to the stove, picking up Jonathan's mug. She reached for the percolator and poured him a cup, carrying it back to the table. "Which means he's not telling us something."

She then went back, got a mug for herself and poured another cup.

"And that's probably because he can't." Jonathan commented as Martha sat back down next to him.

"Or he _won't_ because he doesn't want us to worry." She replied and took a careful first sip.

"Martha, it's also possible he never got around to it because he had more important things he wanted to take care of."

_Lois. _

"That's true." She agreed. "So are you ready for breakfast?"

"I need to take care of the milking first." He took a sip of his coffee and then stood up, shaking his head. "Bessie's been making a racket, so I'd better get her taken care of."

"I'll have breakfast ready when you get back." She took another sip from her own cup and stood up next to him. "I just want to clear up the sofa."

"Martha, you know the rule. Clark needs to take care of that."

"I know." She nodded. "And if the circumstances were different, I'd expect him to. But just this one time, I'd like to take care of it for him."

"All right." He nodded and took another sip of coffee before he headed for the service porch door. "I won't be long."

"Don't try to rush her, Jonathan." She smiled at him. "She always seems to sense when you do and she doesn't give you anything."

"Then I'll just have to sweet talk it out of her, won't I?" He smiled back as he set his cup down, got his jacket from the peg and shrugged into it before he picked up his cup again. "After all, it always seems to work with you."

"You're comparing me with our cow?" Martha felt her cheeks warm as she tried to remain stoic, but having a difficult time.

"I'm not doing anything of the kind." He opened the door and just before he closed it smiled again. "And you know that."

"I certainly do." Martha smiled back listening to the sound of Jonathan's boots as he walked across the service porch and down the stairs. She turned for the parlor and walked to the sofa, picked up the rumpled blankets and folded them up. She stacked the pillow on top and carried the soft bundle up the stairs to put them away in the linen closet.

She was startled when she saw the door slowly open to Clark and Lois's room and Lois stepped out, closing it softly behind her. She was equally startled when she saw Martha in the hall, but she recovered with a smile. "He's out like a light."

"I'm not surprised. I don't imagine he slept any better than _you_ did." She remarked and Lois nodded.

"It's bad enough having to sleep without him when he's gone." She sighed. "But I was mad at him."

"Why don't you stay with him, then?" Martha suggested. "He's sure to wake up without you there."

"It took some doing to get him to sleep." She shook her head and then blushed. "If I'd stayed, he would have wanted to do something else and my hard working G-man needs his rest."

"So does his wife, who's expecting."

"I can take a nap later." Lois shook her head again. "After we go for a walk, I'm sure."

"Then do you think you're ready to eat?" She offered. "Or maybe some hot cocoa?"

"Cocoa sounds good, because I'm not really hungry."

"You were sick again, weren't you?" It would explain why she was so pale earlier.

"Yeah." Her face flushed again. "Please don't tell Clark. It's not as bad as it was a month ago and Dr. Francis thinks that the way things are going, I should be through with it in another couple of weeks."

"Honey, why don't you want him to know?"

"Because the only thing he can do is worry and he's already worried enough with the trouble Lana Luthor is trying to stir up."

That piece of information made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. "What _kind_ of trouble?"

"Clark never got around to that, did he?" Lois walked with her to the stairs leading down to the kitchen. "The reason he's going back to the _Planet _is to use that as his cover so he can start an investigation into who took those shots at me and find him before Lana does."

"Lois." She stopped as they got to the top of the stairs. "You said that she denied it. So why would Clark need to find out where this fellow is?"

"Martha, if there's one thing I've learned since I've known Clark is that nothing can be taken for granted. She could be bluffing, or she _could_ be using this as a way to get to see him."

"For what reason?" She asked and the moment the words came out, she thought knew the answer. "You're married."

"The reason is; Lana won't let go of this idealized memory of something they didn't have." Lois took her arm and they walked down the stairs. "And being married to Lex, who can blame her?"

Martha should have admonished her for such an unkind statement, but she didn't.

"And since she blames _me_ for losing what she thought she had with him-" The younger girl continued as they walked into the kitchen. "I wouldn't put it past her."

"Lois, maybe you _should_ consider-"

She shook her head in the negative and Martha knew not to persist. It would only get Lois to dig her heels in even more. "If I quit, she's going to think she scares me and she doesn't because Lana Luthor is nothing more than a spoiled child who is throwing a tantrum."

"Fair enough." She nodded reluctantly before walking to the stove. She set the cast iron skillet on the front burner to heat, so she could fry up eggs for Jonathan's breakfast. She then got a sauce pan and put in on the other front burner to make some cocoa for Lois. "If you're feeling up to it later, we can start to alter some of your clothes if you like."

She watched as Lois put a hand on her abdomen. "I'd like that because I think this little one would like a little more room."

"So other than the morning sickness, how are you feeling?" She reached into the cabinet next to the stove for the can of cocoa.

"Pudgy." Martha heard her chuckle. "I haven't felt like this since I was a kid."

"Well, it's for a very good reason." She turned around to smile at her daughter-in-law. "And believe me when I say that it _will_ be worth it."

"I know." Lois nodded. And before Martha had the chance to turn back to the stove, she saw Clark come down the stairs with a sleepy frown on his face and walk straight to Lois. He took her hand, pulled her gently up from her chair and led her back to the stairs. She turned back and her face was flushed. "I guess I'm going back to bed."

"Get some rest, the _both_ of you." She smiled the sight of Clark and Lois disappearing up the stairs and it brought back happy memories of her own newlywed days. She put the can of cocoa back in the cabinet and took the sauce pan off the burner.

_The cocoa could wait, _but Jonathan's breakfast couldn't.

After checking to see if the heat under the skillet was just right, she laid out enough bacon for the both of them. The sizzle and smell of frying pork hit her nose and she took a whiff. Nothing smelled better in the morning than frying bacon.

By the time she had it cooked and out of the pan, Jonathan had come in. He set his empty cup down on the counter before shrugging out of his jacket and hanging it on the peg, next to the door.

"The kids haven't come back down yet?" He glanced up the stairs and chuckled.

"Lois did for a few minutes, but then Clark came down and got her." She commented as he walked to the stove and poured some coffee into his mug and took a careful sip. "I don't expect to see them for awhile."

"That's all right." He chuckled again. "It just means more bacon for me."

"The way she feels right now, she'd probably let you have it." She kissed his cheek and he kissed her back before he sat down and opened the paper. While he did that she turned back to the stove to start frying the eggs. "It's hard to say what she's going to be able to eat for awhile."

"Or what odd things she might crave." He chuckled again. "I seem to remember that you had a craving for pickles and strawberries."

"It's a good thing your mother had the strawberry patch." Martha remembered with a smile. "And then after we learned how to make pickles, I was never without while I was carrying Clark."

"Cravings or not, I wouldn't object if you decided to make a batch." Jonathan grinned at her. "You would get so upset with me when I would eat just _one_."

"And that was _only_ while I was expecting." She admonished him with a look. "Honestly, Jonathan."

But all he did was laugh and Martha felt her face flush; he was the only man who could still make her blush like a school girl. "I'm not sure if that'll be possible. With so many things being rationed now-"

"Sweetheart, farms are considered a vital part of the war effort so we _do_ get larger rations-" He started with a grin.

"But we _both_ agreed that we wouldn't take advantage of that, didn't we?" She shook her head. "And now with the baby coming, we'll need to save as many of our ration stamps as possible so we'll be able to help the kids."

His grin softened into one of concern. "We need to careful about that, Martha; you know how Lois feels about wanting to take care of Clark on her own. It's why she insists on keeping their ration books separate from ours."

"It's our _grand_child."

"It's _their_ child." He smiled gently at her. "I know how much you want to help them because I do too, but put yourself in Lois's shoes. And then tell me how you'd feel if your mother-in-law wanted to help you take care of your husband, no matter how well intentioned it was."

_Like a woman who didn't think her son's wife could take care of him as well as she could. _

Martha closed her eyes and sighed. "After we got married, your mother made it very clear to me that it was _my_ responsibility to make sure you got three square meals a day. She told me, _'Once a son becomes a husband, it's no longer his mother's duty to take care of him; that duty passes to his wife'_." She sighed again. "And I forgot that."

"But we weren't expecting a baby within weeks of getting married." He reached for her hand and held it. "And I wasn't gone for weeks at a time, either. Our relationship with Lois is different than my parent's relationship with you because it's so often just the three of us. And I think because of that we're more protective of her than we would be otherwise."

"I can't imagine anyone else being married to our son." She squeezed his fingers and Jonathan smiled at her.

"My son and I are both very lucky men to have such head strong city girls in our lives."

"I haven't been a city girl since you carried me over that threshold-" She pointed toward the front door. "And _Lois_ stopped being a city girl when Clark brought her here for safekeeping."

"It still doesn't change the fact that we're very lucky men." He laughed softly before he stood up and crowded her against the kitchen sink, sparing a glance at the kitchen stairs. "And since we have the kitchen to ourselves for the moment, I'd like to show you how lucky I feel."

"Jonathan?" Martha felt her knees start to shake as he got his arms around her waist and she rest her hands on his shoulders. It surprised her to feel the tremors in his arms because she realized that in spite of his bravado, he was suddenly as nervous as a new husband.

"It was such a blessing to have the kids come out here when they did because they reminded me how it felt when I was courting you." He leaned in. "And since they've been married, they've reminded me of how it felt to be newly married to you, too."

She tipped her face up toward his. "You still know how to turn a phrase, Jonathan Kent."

"Only for you, Martha Clark." He smiled and kissed her nose.

"That's Martha _Kent_, buster." She pressed her lips to his and smiled at the unintended use of a name she often heard her daughter-in-law use with her son.

"Just as it should be." His smile widened as he pulled her impossibly close before kissing her in a way he hadn't since the young years of their marriage and very nearly made her swoon.

The truth of it was; she and Lois were the lucky ones.


	6. Wake Up Call

**March 22, 2014:** For those of you who have waited so patiently for Bundle of Joy to continue, chapters 5 and 6 have been reworked from what I originally posted in February of 2011. They went in a direction that, in reflection, were not in keeping with what I wanted the story to be and left me very unhappy. So while I get back to work, enjoy the revised chapters.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Wake Up Call**

It was her favorite place to be in the early morning. With the sunlight just beginning to peak in their bedroom windows she laid next to her sleeping husband, snuggled up next to him and running her fingers through his hair - and he apparently knew it.

"Is there something you want, Mrs. Kent?" His slow smile, followed by a low, sleepy chuckle let her know he knew exactly what she _did_ want, and the contented sound of it set her heart into double time.

"I think you know." She whispered her answer and to prove it, slipped a hand underneath his tee shirt and skimmed his warm, firm skin. "So what do you say, Handsome?"

"I'd say my wife is awake much too early." His smile widened to a grin and she felt his body tense with anticipation, even though his eyes had yet to open.

"Only because her husband is, too," She giggled and snuggled her head into his shoulder.

"You woke me up, Lois." He chuckled again and when his eyes opened, his gaze caught hers. The sparkle in the blue depths told her how much she tempted him, even so early in the morning. "But I'd like it if you closed your eyes and went back to sleep for awhile. You _are_ sleeping for two, you know."

_He certainly knew how to apply the brakes._

"Well, what if _I_ don't like it?" She propped herself up on an elbow and couldn't help but glare at him. "I'm offering you quite the enticing wake up call, Agent Kent and you're turning me down."

"I certainly am." He reached up to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear and when he softly traced the shell of her ear with his fingers, Lois leaned into his touch and very nearly purred like a contented cat. His husky voice let her know, in no uncertain terms, he was having some difficulty keeping his hands, mostly, to himself. He cleared his throat. "But try not to think of this as me turning you down, because I'm not, exactly. Dr. Francis said you needed to get at least eight hours of sleep a night, didn't he?"

_She hated it when he was right. _"Yes."

"And isn't part of my job as your husband and father of the baby you're carrying to make sure you do what the doctor tells you?" Clark raised his eyebrows at her in question, almost daring her to argue with him. But Lois wasn't the kind of girl to give up easily, especially when there was something, or rather some_one_, she really wanted.

So to advance her objective, she slowly skimmed her fingers up toward his chest, when he promptly stopped her wandering digits with a firm hand. He looked all at once tempted, frustrated and sympathetic as he moved her hand from under his shirt and laid it on his tee shirt. "Honey, I hate to sound like a broken record-"

"I know, I know." She nodded reluctantly and didn't know who irritated her more at the moment, Clark, for being so sensible, or herself, for not being _more_ sensible. "Stupid hormones."

He laughed softly and gathered her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Give the sandman a couple of more hours and if your hormones still want to ravish your husband, I'm all yours."

She poked her head up, "Really?"

"Really," He assured her and a look of concern shadowed his face. "Honey, I only mention it because the doctor wants you to and because you were so restless last night - is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I'm just having some weird dreams, which your mother tells me are perfectly normal." Lois patted his chest. "And the doc says it probably has something to do with the changes I'm going through."

"You want to tell me about them?" His concern warmed her heart, but she shook her head just the same.

"That's the frustrating part - I can't remember them clearly." She lay back down and sighed, "But maybe I don't want to."

"Do you think it means you're scared about what's happening?" He sounded a little worried himself.

"Not scared, but definitely nervous." Lois put her hand over his heart and rubbed the escalating palpitations through the warm cotton of his tee shirt. "Are _you_ scared?"

"Frustrated, more than anything," He admitted to her with his own sigh. "Everything that's happening to you right now is because we're bringing a new life into the world. And I can't help but think we should have waited."

"The Eagle Scout wasn't prepared." She couldn't help but laugh because she'd bet a dollar to a doughnut hole Clark was blushing.

His soft chuckle made her smile as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "All I could think about was making you my wife in every sense of the word on our wedding night. I never thought about taking care to delay a family."

"It was fate, Agent Kent." Lois tipped her face up and nuzzled his cheek, rough with morning stubble - she loved the feel of it_. _"Nothing more and nothing less."

"Mom believes everything happens for a reason." He hugged her to him. "So I guess this means we probably won't get much time to ourselves until the last of the kids leaves the nest."

"Exactly how many kids are we talking about?" She pushed herself up on her elbow again with some alarm and felt a blush warm her cheeks. He'd never mentioned anything to her about wanting a big family.

"Only as many as you're willing to have." He reached up and she felt his fingers in the hair which had come loose and smoothed it back. "And if it means we only have this one, I'll be happy."

'_But what if all you have are daughters?'_

'_Then they'll _marry_ farmers.' _

That long ago discussion suddenly came to mind and she sighed, "Even if it's a girl?"

"She'll be _ours_, Lois." He brushed a warm, reassuring hand across her cheek. "That's the important thing."

"Wouldn't you prefer a son to carry on the family name?" Lois wasn't sure why it mattered so much to her, because it truly didn't matter to him. "Men usually do."

"It would be nice." Clark shrugged a shoulder casually as his other hand gently stroked her abdomen, his eyes focused on her increasingly rounded belly. "Continuity is important, but if we end up with a daughter or daughters, I wouldn't love them any less or regret not having any sons."

His gaze shifted to her face and Lois saw the earnest sincerity in them. "Lois, I love you and any children we have, boys or girls, are proof of that love. And if I'm lucky, I'll be able to look at them and see your eyes, the color of your hair or maybe the mulish set of your chin when you don't get what you want." The last comment came with a grin before his expression sobered again. "It honestly doesn't matter to me, but for some reason it does to you. Do you want to tell me why?"

She settled back down into the comfort of his arms and sighed. "I know Dad loves us and he'd do anything for Lucy and me. But said or not, I always got the feeling he was disappointed we weren't boys."

_And there it was._

"Has he ever told you that?" The question was sincerely asked and not a scold as she'd somewhat expected. "I know things with your dad were a little awkward in the beginning, but I never believed he thought that."

"You don't know Dad." She felt her eyes tear and quickly blinked them away. Turning on the waterworks wasn't going to change anything.

"And I don't think you give him enough credit." The blunt words were softened by a brush of his lips in her hair and a gentle hand skimming around her waist to caress the low of her back. "From what I know of Sam and from what I've seen when he's with you and your sister, he's happy to have you in his life because you're a physical connection to his wife.

"I'm not sure you realize how much you and Lucy really do look like your mom." He continued softly, comforting her. "He showed me a picture of her he still carries in his wallet and the first time I saw it, I thought it was you. He also showed me a picture of the four of you that's pretty worn around the edges because he's probably taken it out so much to look at it."

"He told you that?" _Don't be such a skeptic, Lo._

"He didn't have to, I was just observant." He replied and then kissed her temple. "Your dad is a man of few words. But his actions, when it comes to his two daughters speak volumes. And all those volumes express how much he loves you."

She loved Clark more than ever for finding a way to point out the obvious to her and helping her to truly accept it. And even though she knew she needed some shut eye, Lois chose instead, to thank her husband in the best way she knew how - she kissed him.

His hands slipped quickly to her forearms, gripping them gently, more than likely to try and put some distance between them. But when she deepened the kiss and stroked a tremulous hand over the rapid beating of his heart, she knew she had him where she wanted him when he let go of her arms and slipped his around her waist.

"Lois." Her name came out as a strangled whisper, as he tried to put the brakes on what she intended on being the inevitable. Lois quelled his protest with another ardent kiss, but Clark wasn't going to give in even as he rolled to his side, taking her into a fuller embrace. "Honey."

A warm flush skittered from her cheeks down to her belly at the sound of the endearment, and if she didn't know better, the baby moved. He'd never uttered it in quite that way before and the surprise she felt stopped, quite suddenly, the pursuit of an early morning tumble.

He didn't seem to understand why she'd broken it off because a look of worry crossed his face. "What's wrong?"

She couldn't help but smile as she took his face in her hands and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to his lips, probably confusing him even more. "Everything is fine, G-man, _we're_ fine. And to get that worried look of your face, as much as I'd rather finish what I started, baby Kent and I _will_ make a visit to the sandman. But only if you come with us." She gave him her best beguiling smile to tempt him. "So what do you say?"

His bemused gaze in return told her he wasn't sure what she was up to, but he had no doubt she was. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I love it when you call me 'Honey'," Was all she'd tell him before she stretched out next to him and closed her eyes.

oooooo

She never ceased to surprise him.

She also never ceased in trying to get him to do something he knew they should hold off on, even if he wanted it as much as she and this early morning was no exception.

'_I love it when you call me "Honey".' _Andhe loved saying it. He'd never felt enough for a woman before he met Lois, to say it and mean it. And for a reason he didn't understand, it got her to stop the campaign to have her way with him.

_As if he would have really minded._

Clark grinned as he listened to his sleeping wife snore softly next to him. He liked to tease her about it, but she would always tell him quite indignantly he was wrong.

'_Lane's don't snore.'_

'_But you're a Kent now, and you snore.' _

He gathered her close to him and would almost swear he could hear two hearts beating as they lay in the quiet. But then he rolled his eyes at the thought because he knew it wasn't possible.

A soft knock on the bedroom door got him to look back over his shoulder and when it opened, Dad stuck his head in. "If you wouldn't mind, I could use your help." His voice was soft, in deference to his sleeping daughter-in-law.

"Sure, Dad," Clark nodded without hesitation. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Take your time, son, there's no rush." Dad replied and quietly closed the door.

Clark slipped out of bed, trying not to disturb Lois, fully expecting her to wake and give him a scolding about leaving her in their bed, alone. Even after he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, she only swished an impatient hand at him in her sleep and he smiled.

His wife had her priorities, _when they suited her_.

He walked quietly as he could to the dresser and pulled out a fresh tee shirt and pair of socks out of the drawer. He moved back to the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and sat down to pull on the socks before changing his tee shirt and getting into his dungarees. He tossed the sleep rumpled shirt into the clothes hamper just inside the closet door and picked up his boots.

A check over his shoulder reassured him his wife still slept before he stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He padded down the hall to the stairs and took them down to the kitchen, where his parents sat at the table having their morning coffee.

"Is Lois all right?" Mom looked up at him from the early edition of _The Daily Planet _and a look of concern was on her face. "I heard her get up a couple of times last night."

"She's fine." Clark assured her. "It's not morning sickness. She just needed to use the bathroom."

"That's good to hear." She smiled in relief and set the paper down. "I just remember when I was carrying you. You'd gotten so big that if you moved in a certain way or rested in a certain spot, I'd be up a few times during the night."

"And when your mother got up I usually did, too." Dad added with a grin as he folded up the morning edition of _The Smallville Ledger _he'd been reading and set it down on Lois' place setting. For some reason, she liked to read it before she read the _Planet,_ but had never explained why.

"Because you were a good husband, Jonathan," Mom curled her fingers around Dad's and then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "And you still are."

She got up suddenly and moved to the stove and Clark suspected his mother was a little embarrassed at her admission. His parent's still loved each other and he'd never had cause to doubt it. But they'd also been raised in a time where such feelings between husbands and wives weren't talked about, especially with their own children.

As Clark slipped his feet into his boots and tied the laces, Dad explained to him why he wanted his son's help. "With the summer months coming on, your mother thought it would be a nice idea if we built a swing for Lois."

"You know how hot it gets." Mom turned from the stove with a bowl of oatmeal in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, her composure restored. "And having gone through it, I understand how uncomfortable it can get."

She set the bowl and cup down in front of Clark and sat back down.

"She picked the walnut tree out back because it's one of the shadiest spots on the farm for most of the day." Dad continued. "The lower branches are nice and sturdy and will easily support a good-sized swing."

"And we're not telling my wife about this?" He couldn't help but smile and he took a sip of his coffee and then a generous spoonful of Mom's oatmeal. He smiled not just for the generosity of his parents and their caring so much about Lois, but the fact that they had never liked keeping secrets and yet here they were.

"We want it to be a surprise." Mom stated without any trace of defensiveness in her voice as Clark kept eating. "She's going through a lot of changes with this baby and I just want to make it easier for her." She then turned to Dad and put her hand on his forearm. "Just like your mother did for me."

"She'd appreciate the sentiment, sweetheart." He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "And so will Lois."

Clark dipped his head and spooned another helping of oatmeal as his mother blushed again, to hide a smile he couldn't stop.

"Lois will _what_?" Lois's soft, sleepy voice at the foot of the stairs startled the three sitting together. He stood up and took her hand when she reached the table, helping her to sit. And where she would have normally admonished him for being too solicitous, she merely kissed his cheek and sat down.

"You'll appreciate some peace and quiet to eat, once these two finish their breakfast." Clark's mother answered smoothly and her face flushed at having to utter the fib.

"I'm all done, so I'm headed out to the barn." Dad stood up and set his hands on his hips with his 'lets-get-moving' signal before he walked out of the kitchen and through the parlor to the front door. "Clark, I'll expect you out there when you're done."

"Yes, sir," He promised as he finished eating and drained the last of his coffee.

"Lois, would you like some coffee while I make your breakfast?" Mom asked with a visible look of concern as Lois' head went down on Clark's shoulder. "Or would you rather go back to bed?"

He felt the shake of her head as she answered in the negative. "Coffee doesn't sound so appealing right now." She sighed. "And the only way I'm going back to bed is if _he_ comes with me."

"How would you feel about some hot cocoa, then?"

Lois nodded in the affirmative and looked up at Clark. "Unless-"

"I'm sorry, honey, no dice." He hated to refuse her. "Dad needs my help for a little while and by the time we're finished, you'd probably be getting up anyway."

"Possibly," She sighed again and then pressed a kiss to his lips. "Well, go milk Bessie or clean out the stalls or whatever it is your dad needs you for. Baby Kent and I are in good hands with your mom."

"Have you two given any thought to what you're going to name baby Kent?" Mom asked as Clark got up from the table and carried his empty bowl and cup to the sink. "Leave that, honey. I'll take care of it."

"We haven't really." Lois told her before she got up and moved to stand next to Clark. "Not with the morning sickness or the fact I wasn't showing yet."

"Now might be a good time." She walked to the ice box and pulled out a pitcher of milk, taking it to the stove. "Things are going to start changing faster than you realize and it's always a good idea to have some names in mind before the baby comes."

"As long as _he_ isn't a junior," He kissed Lois on the cheek and then his mother before heading through the parlor to the front door. "Anything else I'm willing to discuss."

"What if he is a _she_?" Lois called after him and he couldn't help but grin as he opened the door.

"As long as she isn't a junior, I'll be fine with that, too."

"Clark." Her indignation would have given him pause for being such a smart-ass, but just before he closed the door, he heard her barely suppress a laugh and reply, "Honestly."

He was a very lucky man.


	7. Loving You

**Chapter 6: Loving You**

For the last few days, Lois's husband and father-in-law had been awfully mysterious about what they were doing out in the barn and her mother-in-law politely, but firmly, demurred in enlightening her. All Martha would tell her was she'd find out soon enough. And no amount of romantic persuasion from Lois could get Clark to tell her what was going on.

'_I know patience isn't one of your strong suits,' He'd grinned, with a flushed face after a particularly voluptuous kiss from her that _should_ have had him spilling everything he knew. "But trust me when I tell you that it'll be worth it.'_

More than once, the urge to go and find out for herself very nearly had her sneaking out to the barn to find out what they were keeping from her. But she always stopped short of actually following through because it would betray a trust. They obviously wanted to surprise her with _some_thing, so to keep herself distracted she picked up the box of wedding photographs her father had delivered the day before from the base photographer.

Choosing pictures for her wedding album had begun as a project to keep her busy when Clark had been away during the early weeks of their marriage. She'd gone through all of the photographs that had been taken and then chosen what she liked, what Dad and her in-laws liked and what she thought Clark might like.

Jonathan and Martha had presented her with the album a few weeks after she and Clark had settled on a wedding date. The pale cream cover had been beautifully embossed in gold with the words **Our Wedding** on the front cover with a pair of interlocking wedding rings underneath.

In the lower right hand corner their names were engraved with **Clark and Lois Kent **and the date of their wedding, **December 24, 1942 **set underneath.

Inside the front cover, there was a gilded parchment page for their names, their parents' names, the date of their marriage, location and the best man and maid-of-honor, or in Lois's case, _matron_-of-honor. Several presentation pages inside would allow her to slip the photographs inside to be protected by a thin sheet of plastic. It didn't escape her notice that if they'd married later, in 1943, plastic probably wouldn't have been available since everything now was being rationed for the war effort.

When Clark had finally come home, she'd shown him the pictures she selected and asked him if there were any others he wanted to include and to help her find a photograph for their bedroom, just as her own mother had done in her own young marriage.

So with that done, she'd made her final order and was now ready to fill the album. The picture of her and Clark was already framed and on the dresser in their room and a second with them, their parents and Lois's sister and nephew was on the mantle over the fireplace. By the end of the year there would be two more, one of their newest addition and another of their newest addition with his _or_ her parents.

Maybe it shouldn't have by now, but the idea of a newborn got her so flummoxed she nearly dropped the empty wedding album on the floor in her haste to get upstairs to the bathroom, her stomach fluttering furiously. _Crap! _

Dr. Francis had warned her nerves could bring on a bought of morning sickness, but since Lois wasn't by nature a nervous person, she'd never given it a second thought. But then, she'd never been in the family way, either.

She got to the top of the stairs and rushed for the bathroom only to find the door closed. _This was just great! _Lois rapped urgently on the door and when it opened, Clark had a grin on his face as he dried his hands on a hand towel, "Learning Morse code?"

She didn't have time to joke and pushed him aside, "Out of the way, G-man."

The grin disappeared in an instant as he slung the towel over his shoulder and quickly closed the door. "Hang on for a second, the floor is cold." He put a hand on her arm to stop her and grabbed for a bath towel. He dropped it on the floor before helping her to kneel and then after a frustrating wait, nothing happened.

Clark's large, warm hand massaged the tension between her shoulder blades as she dealt with dry heaves that cramped her stomach and left her breathless. "Is there anything I can do?" He sounded worried.

She could only shake her head as the cramps slowly subsided and then she sighed as she leaned back into Clark's strong chest. "Well, that was a first."

"Maybe it means you won't be getting so sick anymore." He suggested as his hand skimmed gently against her head, brushing her hair back. "Dr. Francis did say it should be getting better by now."

"It is." She nodded, not wanting him unduly alarmed. "I just got a little overwhelmed with the idea I'm going to be a mother by the end of the year."

"I get pretty nervous about the idea of being a dad, too." She felt his lips, feather-light at her temple. "But we've got our parents to help us."

"I know we do." Lois sighed again and Clark got his arms around her waist, taking her onto his lap as he sat down on the floor. "And I know you're nervous, but I'm the one carrying this kid inside me for the next few months. This little bundle that we've created together and who we'll be bringing into the world is completely dependent on me until the big day."

"You're doing a good job taking care of him, even Dr. Francis says so." He reminded her. "He's really pleased with how you're listening to him and taking his instructions seriously. Your weight is good, your blood pressure has leveled out and the baby is getting more active."

"He did say he has some patients who think they know better than he does because they've already had kids." Lois nodded. "And some don't care for him because they think he's too brusque."

"He _is_ that, but he's not unkind." Clark stroked his hand up and down her back, relaxing her with his touch. _She loved the feeling of his hands on her. _"He tells his patients what they need to hear. As great a doctor as he was old Doc Dearing sometimes sugar-coated things when a straight-forward approach would have been better."

"Your mom told me about him." She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest and sighed, suddenly wanting to lie down. "He sounds like a nice fellow."

"He is." She could feel Clark shift, probably looking to see if she was all right. "He's been happily retired since Dr. Francis moved to Smallville, though he does take his patients when Dr. Francis has to be gone for more than a few days."

"Mm-hmm," She nodded, feeling sleepier by the moment.

"Lois, don't go to sleep yet." She heard his soft chuckle and felt another soft kiss in her hair. "The bed is much more comfortable than a tile floor."

"I'm not on the floor." She mumbled with another sigh.

"But I _am_." His lips sought out hers with one more gentle kiss, clinging longer than they probably should have. "Come on Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you to our royal chambers."

"Some Prince Charming _you_ are." Lois couldn't help but smile, her eyes still closed. "A _real_ Prince Charming would let his sleeping beauty rest in his lap."

"Not on cold tiles, he wouldn't." Clark countered with a laugh. "But I'll stay with you if you want. Will that do?"

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking like a sleepy owl and caught his amused gaze. "Make love to me and you've got a deal."

His body tensed up at her request, as she figured it would and reacted predictably as his face flushed. "You're falling asleep in my lap, Lois. Do you realize the wound my manly pride would take if you fell asleep again while we were making love?"

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Lois felt her face inexplicably warm with a blush. _He was the only man who could make her do it. _"Will you at least carry us?"

He grinned and gave her a gentle pat on her backside as he nodded. "As soon as you get off my lap, I'd be happy to."

"Why not just pick me up from here?" She asked as she stayed put, just to see what he would do.

"I might be a special agent with the FBI," He helped her to her feet. "But I don't exactly have super-strength, you know."

"You mean you can't leap tall buildings and all of that?" She asked him with a cheeky smile as he stood and then brushed his cheek, roughened with afternoon stubble. The friction of it sent prickles of electricity through her body and suddenly, she wasn't so tired anymore.

Clark must have sensed it because his face flushed again as wariness and want reflected in his eyes. "Lois, you need to rest."

_She wasn't going to let him talk her out of it this time._

"I can rest after you've had your way with me." Lois leaned up on her toes, took his face in her hands and brushed her thumbs softly across his cheeks before she kissed him. She employed every bit of romantic persuasion she'd learned since their first kiss to get him to do exactly what she wanted.

Her husband was no pushover to be sure, but Lois also knew a gentle press of her breasts against his chest and the stroke of her fingers at the nape of his neck were usually enough to get him to change his tune, no matter how reluctantly. Making sure he felt the swell of her blossoming body between them didn't hurt, either.

"You don't play fair." He fairly growled in her ear and her heart stuttered as his arms wrapped around her waist and held her close.

"Not if it gets me what I want." She whispered back and nipped his earlobe. "So get me out of here, buster."

He answered her request with a kiss so passionate, her knees nearly buckled. But before they could he'd swept her into his arms, headed with due haste to their bedroom.

When Clark got her across the threshold, he let her feet find purchase on the floor before he closed the door quietly behind them. He turned the key in the lock and then removed it, setting it on the dresser. All the while his other arm was firmly around her waist, keeping her body close to his. Lois blinked in surprise because he'd never actually locked their door before.

"I couldn't help but remember the night I got home from California and Mom didn't know I was home yet." He answered her look of surprise with a sheepish grin. "They don't know we're up here now and I'd rather you and she not be embarrassed if she should come looking for us."

"Then let's not waste any time." Lois answered by pulling up on his tee shirt. Clark stepped back enough to get it over his head and let it drop to the floor before he took her by her shoulders and turned her around. The buttons down the back of her dress were quickly undone and with a shrug the rayon garment slipped to the floor.

He turned her around again and took her hands in his. "You are still the prettiest girl in Lowell County, especially now."

"I love you, too." She squeezed his fingers in gratitude before he gathered her in his arms and kissed her.

oooooo

She'd done it to him, _again_, not that he was complaining.

Clark and his father had finally finished the swing. The boards had been sanded smooth as he could make them, so Lois wouldn't catch any splinters, and covered with several coats of whitewash. When they had dried, Dad coated them with shellac to make them more weather resistant and then put the swing together. After being assembled, Clark filled in the nail holes with putty, then he painted and shellacked again.

It was a swing meant to last for generations.

That very morning, Sam had come out to the farm on the pretext of seeing his daughter. He did the appropriate fussing he knew would make Lois a little crazy and she shooed him out of the house after breakfast, along with _his_ father.

In the meantime, Mom kept her busy with chores around the house and working on the wedding album while Clark joined them to rig up the swing, all the while trying to stay as quiet as possible.

She was already suspicious of the secrecy, even though he, Dad, Mom andSam swore to her they weren't keeping a secret from her, but his wife was no fool. She was going along with it, but he was certain she didn't believe it.

He'd planned to head downstairs after washing up to collect her and take her out to the back yard, but her nervous stomach and their subsequent lovemaking had brought everything to a grinding halt.

After a cold start to the day, their room had warmed rather nicely with the early afternoon sun shining through the window as they spooned together. Clark's hand brushed lightly against the soft swell of Lois' abdomen and her hand dropped lightly on his as she sighed lightly and he continued to stroke.

"Is everything all right?" He whispered in her ear before he kissed her cheek.

"Just fine," Her low, sleepy voice answered as she reached back with her free hand to run her fingers through his hair.

"Good." He took those fingers and kissed the knuckles lightly before kissing her cheek again. "But we need to get downstairs because we have something to show you."

"We?" Lois rolled over and her tousled hair, sleepy eyes and flushed cheeks nearly made him change his mind. Yet as much as he would have loved making love to her again, their parents were waiting and Clark had no doubt they'd be teased about the delay.

"We," He nodded and kissed her nose, "As in me, my parents and your dad. We've got something to help you get through the summer."

"Is it bigger than a bread box?" She grinned at him and he leaned over to press his lips to hers. The kiss was just firm enough to make her happy, but not so much so she'd refuse to get out of bed.

"You'll have to come downstairs to see." He kissed her again as further enticement before he got up and started collecting his clothes. "I'm going to dress in the bathroom and I'll meet you down in the parlor in ten minutes."

"Are you absolutely sure about that?" She asked him very softly and Clark closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. _Oh, lord, he knew that tone. _

She wasn't through with him yet.

But he had to refuse her, difficult as it was and he finally managed an answer. "Yes. I'll meet you downstairs." He grabbed the key off of the dresser to unlock the door. _You and your bright ideas, Kent! _

His hands were shaking as he fumbled with the lock and silently swore a blue streak until he heard the click of the lock and nearly yanked the door off of its hinges to open it. As he closed the door behind him, Lois's gentle laugh bubbled behind him and he realized he was grinning.

The way she could still unnerve him after all this time hearkened back to their early days of knowing each other when he never knew what to expect from her.

_She patted his chest again and laughed because she seemed to really enjoy his sudden discomfort and felt the need to make an announcement to those gathered in the newsroom just before she kissed his cheek for good measure. "He's so bashful."_

Clark rubbed his chest absently as he remembered her unexpected arrival at the _Planet_ that day, when she was supposed to have been tucked away safely at the farm. In all honesty, she'd scared him to death and in some ways, she still did.

He dressed and was downstairs in the parlor with time to spare when he got a whiff of lilacs. He turned around and Lois was on the stairs, watching him. Maybe it was the afternoon sun coming in through the front door, but Clark could swear she was glowing.

She'd fixed her hair and repaired her makeup so there wouldn't be any indication of what they'd been doing and she was back in her socks and loafers. She had one hand on the banister while the other rubbed absently over her abdomen. She was a picture and she was _his_.

"Do you know how adorable you are when you're flustered?" She smiled at him as she stepped off the bottom step and walked toward him, her hips swaying a little more than they had before. How had he not noticed?

"I was realizing the folly of a locked door." He smiled back at her and grasped one of her hands. "I'll have to rethink my strategy next time."

"It's just nice to know I can still unnerve you from time to time." She ran her other hand down his cheek. "So what's this big surprise you have for me?"

"Come with me and you'll find out." He squeezed her hand and tucked it into his elbow, escorting her through the parlor and through the kitchen. When they got to the service porch door, he asked her to close her eyes.

She raised her eyebrows at him as though to say, _"Are you kidding?"_, but only for a moment before she did as he requested. "You'll make sure I don't trip on Shelby."

_It wasn't a question. _

"You won't trip on Shelby." Clark promised her before he opened the door. Mom, Dad and Sam were on the swing, glasses of lemonade in hand, talking amiably while they waited. The three of them had become such good friends since Lois's father first came out to the farm and it made her happy knowing he had a place to come where he was just Sam Lane, not General. His friendship with Clark's parents had softened him around the edges and she was grateful for it.

"You kids take a detour?" Sam grinned at them. "We were expecting you about twenty minutes ago."

"Sam." Mom admonished him with a smile of her own before she looked at Clark and nodded.

"Okay, honey." His heart picked up an odd flutter as he saw the expectant looks on their faces and he knew _he_ was smiling. "You can open your eyes."

When she finally did, she didn't say a word and Sam and his parents all stood up. He walked her to the new swing, sat her down and sat down next to her, setting the swing into motion.

Lois looked at him, confused and clearly overwhelmed. "This is for me?"

"It was Martha's idea." Jonathan explained to her with a nod. "She was concerned with the summer months coming on soon and you getting farther along, you'd need a place to stay cool during the heat of the day."

"It might have been my idea, but it was your father-in-law and your husband who built it and rigged it." Mom made sure everyone got due credit. "And _your_ father came out this morning to help put it up. It was very much a family effort."

Clark could see Lois struggling to hold on to her composure. Her gaze moved from Mom, then to Dad and lastly to her own father. Tears were pooling in her eyes and she seemed to be struggling to try and find the right words. "I don't know what to say."

"You're welcome, honey." Mom answered and turned for the house. "You two enjoy the nice day for awhile. I'll call when lunch is ready."

When they were alone, with the exception of a snoozing Shelby near Lois's feet, she shook her head. "I don't understand."

"All you need to understand is how much we love you." Clark gathered her in his arms and dropped a kiss in her hair, "Especially me. We did this because as much of our support as you have, you're the one who is doing the important work of carrying our baby. We just want to try and make it as easy for you as we can."

"Thank you." She looked into his eyes and smiled as tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes.

"You're welcome, from all of us." Clark replied as Lois tucked her feet under her and snuggled closer to him, laying her hand over his heart.

"Does this mean I have to share?"

And he smiled_, only Lois._


	8. Monday Morning Cometh

**Chapter 7: Monday Morning Cometh**

They'd gone to bed early Sunday night because Clark wanted to pick up where they'd had to leave off that morning, not that Lois minded. Their one night apart had changed everything and they were both reaping the benefits. But even after making love, more than once and falling into an exhausted sleep, Clark was restless.

He was nervous, she knew, but Lois wasn't sure why because Clark had enjoyed his last assignment at the _Planet._ He told her he'd learned a lot about reporting from Mr. White and he really seemed to like Clark. They'd even invited Mr. White and his wife to their wedding.

She had the feeling that it had more to do with the circumstances of _why_ he was being sent back to resume his alter ego of Clark Kent, reporter. They both had so much more at stake this time around and the sooner he could find the fellow who had taken the shots at her on the night they met, the sooner he could make sure that Lana was stopped.

And this time, she could rot in prison.

Lois was sorely tempted to wake up her husband, but decided against it. Her insides fluttered at the memory of how it had felt being so intimately connected to him, recalling the feel of his gentle touch on her body.

So she settled for brushing her fingers across his bare chest, hoping she didn't wake him. He still had another couple of hours before he needed to get up and she wanted him to sleep. But even at rest, he seemed to know she was there and rolled to his side, reaching for her.

She considered getting up and leaving him alone, but it hadn't worked out so well the other morning. After Clark's night on the sofa he'd brought her back upstairs and Lois knew what he wanted because she wanted it, too. But no sooner had he rolled her onto her back and kissed her when he sighed, gave her a sleepy grin of apology and kissed her again before sinking down next to her; promptly going back to sleep.

She'd left him to go downstairs, wanting him to get some rest, but he'd come down after her to take her back to bed. He couldn't sleep without her, which was obvious, so she'd stayed with him and fallen asleep in his arms because it was where she wanted to be.

It was _still_ where she wanted to be, but when Clark's hand skimmed down to her backside and then slipped behind her knee, she knew it was time to get up when he drew her leg over his. His body was quickly coming to attention and she felt her face flush.

'_I'm sorry, sweetheart.' _Lois sighed regretfully. She cupped his cheek with her hand and pressed a soft kiss to his warm lips. _'Tonight, I promise.'_

It was a promise she wouldn't have any trouble keeping.

As carefully as she could, Lois moved his hand so she could slip out from under his arm. She then slowly rolled over, trying not to disturb the mattress and moved the blankets back enough to get her feet from under them. But no sooner had she stood up, that Clark reached for her again as she figured he would. His face crinkled into a frown when all he got was warm sheets, but he didn't wake up.

He just sighed and promptly rolled over before she picked up her bathrobe from the foot of the bed and put her arms through the sleeves, all the while watching her sleeping husband.

_He looked so tired. _

It would have been much too easy to shrug out of her nightclothes and get back into bed, waking him the way she had the morning before; but she didn't. And it was just as well, because her stomach had started to roil before she'd even had the chance to cinch the belt of her robe.

_Great, _it was going to be one of those mornings.

She walked to Clark's side of the bed, not yet willing to leave him in spite of the sudden nausea, to brush a hand through the messy mop of dark hair, a mess that she'd created. It was only when her knees started to shake she knew it was time to get to the bathroom, hoping it wasn't currently being occupied by either of her in-laws.

She closed the bedroom door behind her and padded quickly to the bathroom, thankful to see that the door was ajar. And not wanting to alert Martha or Jonathan to her predicament, closed it just as quietly before she sank to her knees and retched.

While the morning sickness had eased considerably, Lois still had miserable days in the bathroom. Dr. Francis had told her within another two or three weeks, it should go away all together.

But in the meantime, she started to pant. Because no sooner had she finished retching with little time to catch her breath, she threw up again.

Lois should have known it wouldn't be long before Clark found her. He seemed to have a sixth sense about her morning sickness and she missed the sound of the bathroom door as it opened and then closed again. She felt her hair being gathered behind her and the caress of a large, warm hand on her back. _That felt really good. _

He didn't say anything, just stayed with her and comforted her while she finished. She reached up to flush, but he got there first and gently commanded her to sit instead and then sat down himself to support her back as she rested against his chest. Her stomach still felt funny, so she knew she might not be quite through yet.

"This is the first time you've been sick in a couple of days." He observed and Lois could hear the concern in his voice. She smiled because she had a pretty good idea as to why. "I thought it was getting better."

"One of the causes of morning sickness is activity." She put her head back on his shoulder and giggled. "And we have been pretty active the last couple of days."

"Really?" He sounded dubious.

"It's a double whammy." She smiled. "Hormones cause activity and that causes morning sickness."

"Dr. Francis said that?"

"Not in those words." She shook her head. "But it was the jist of it."

"Then do you really think it's a good idea that we're-" Clark started to ask but Lois interrupted him.

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, buster." She shook her head again. "If the trade off for making love with my husband right now is morning sickness, then I'll take it."

"But what if _I_ don't want to be the cause of it?" He asked sensibly and Lois appreciated his concern, but it was her decision.

"Then I'll just have to peruade you." She countered. "And if yesterday morning is any indication, I know I can."

Clark pressed a kiss to her hair and chuckled. "That's because you used our baby to do it."

"I don't think he minded." She smiled, knowing what was coming.

"Or _she_." He laughed again, having to know she was expecting it.

"You know we never did consider that it could be _them_." Lois burrowed herself into his chest. "Wouldn't that be something?"

She felt him still and could feel the acceleration of his heart rate as he slipped his hand underneath her robe to gently caress the slight swell of her abdomen. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"I'm pretty sure that we're not having twins." She shook her head, laying her hand over his, "Maybe next time."

He leaned close to her ear and his warm breath made her shiver. "You know that in order for us to have twins, we'll have to try twice as hard."

"Well then you'll just have to keep up with me, won't you?"

"I think I can handle it." His lips came down close to hers and she stopped their descent with her fingers.

"I really don't think you want to do that." Lois cautioned him and all he did was grin.

"I suppose not." He kissed her cheek instead. "So do you feel ready to get up, or do you need more time?"

"Just stay here with me, if you don't mind." She should have told him to go back to bed and not worry about her, even though she knew he wouldn't do it; but she liked having him with her.

"I don't mind." He stroked her with a light touch. "I like being here with the both of you."

"So do we," She nodded and then felt her body relax_. _But no sooner was she ready to ask him to help her up from the floor whenher tummy started to churn again and she tensed. _Crap!_

"Clark."

He must have heard the urgency in her voice and understood what was happening without her having to say another word. "It's okay, honey. I'm right here."

She felt him shift behind her and get to his knees. He grasped her arms to give her the leverage to get up and once she did, held her hair. When she was done they sat down again, his arms wrapped around her. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, this whole thing is just the cat's meow." Lois smiled and leaned against his solid warmth.

"Cat's meow?" It sounded as though he were trying to stifle a laugh, and failing badly.

"Cat's meow, bee's knees, gnat's eyebrow, it's all the same."

"Sarcasm noted." Clark chuckled softly near her ear. "Now let's get you up and back to bed."

"Not a chance, G-man." Lois resisted his attempts to help her to her feet.

"And not for the reason you seem to think, missy." She didn't miss his humorous tone with a name her father often used with her. "You need to rest."

"So do you." Lois let him help her get up and walk her to the bathroom sink. Her knees were still shaky, so Clark braced her body with his while she brushed her teeth.

"But you're resting for two and that's more important." He was persistant, she'd give him that.

"Clark, it's important we _both_ rest." She reminded him before she splashed some cool water on her face and then blotted her skin dry with a towel. When she was finished, he took the damp towel out of her hands and hung it up for her. "I could have done that."

"I know, but I wanted to." He met her eyes in the mirror over the sink, almost daring her to object further.

"Thank you." She smiled at him in the reflection and he smiled back.

"You're welcome." He stepped back and carefully took Lois up in his arms.

It was only then she noticed that he'd put on a tee shirt. He seemed to be aware of it and his face flushed. "I know you wouldn't have minded seeing me in my pajama bottoms, but I'm pretty sure my parents would have."

"I do seem to remember your mother reminding you once that she hadn't raised an exhibitionist." She laughed, "And all because you were trying to impress me."

"Lucky for me, it worked." He kissed her cheek before he reached for the doorknob and turned it.

"You _have_ been a very lucky fellow, you know." Lois put her head down on his shoulder as he carried her out of the bathroom and back to their bedroom. "If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't be here."

"That goes both ways, Lois." Clark stopped next to the bed and set her on her feet. "If any other agent had been sent back here other than _me_-" The sentence went unfinished when she stopped him with a kiss.

Lois heard him take in a breath through his nose, telling her she'd caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly when he got his arms around her waist and kissed her back. She curled her arms around his neck, holding him close, mindful that fairly soon she wouldn't be able to. "I'm so glad that it was you."

"Me, too," He extended his hand, indicating the bed. "So come on, back to bed now. And as difficult as it's going to be I'll keep my hands to myself, Scout's Honor."

"Says the Eagle Scout," She quirked an eyebrow at him as he stepped back and loosened the belt to her robe. When he'd finished, she took his hands in hers and stroked the knuckles with her thumbs. "You have the most wonderful hands."

She glanced up and saw the look of surprise on his face. "You make it difficult for me to keep them off you when you say things like that."

"I know." She loved to tease him because she knew he loved it, too. But she also knew they both needed to rest. So she took the hand he offered to help her up onto the mattress and then moved over to her side and sat down, waiting for him to follow. "But you will."

"Lois." He shook his head with a rueful grin and she could imagine what he was thinking, _'You're going to be the death of me.' _

'_But you'd die happy, wouldn't you?' _She leaned over and kissed him when he sat down next to her. "I know."

She slipped down in the bed and waited for Clark to settle down before she stretched out and felt the reassuring warmth of his arms close around her. Of all the places that she'd been lucky enough to see growing up as an Army brat, being held in her husband's embrace outdid them all.

When she woke again later, Clark was standing at the edge of the bed and looked to be deep thought. From the look on his face, she had a pretty good idea of what was on his mind and she couldn't help but laugh. "So are you coming back to bed or not? I wouldn't mind a quick tumble to start the day."

"Honey, as tempting as that is-" He was turning her down and Lois shook her head.

"Don't think about it, Handsome." She glanced at the bedside clock before she sat up. "We've got fifteen whole minutes before you have to be downstairs and formost ofthose minutes there is only one place I want you to be."

"Lois-" He sighed because she'd wager he wanted it as much as she did. But one of them had to be sensible. "This isn't exactly-"

"The right time?" She finished for him as her eyebrow went up. "Maybe not, But if you don't give me what we both want, you're going to have an awfully difficult time getting through the rest of the day because you're going to be kicking yourself for turning down your wife."

"Lois-"

"The more you stall, the less time we're going to have." She gave him the look he'd once told her could get him to do anything she wanted, got up to her knees and grabbed the ends of his tie. "So you have two choices. You can go downstairs with a smile on your face, or I'll make sure to frustrate you so badly that you'll wish you'd given into me."

_She'd do it, too. _The Christmas Eve morning after Clark had taken her into protective custody, came to mind. He'd lamented,_ 'You don't play fair.'_

"Well, Mrs. Kent, what kind of incentive are you offering?" He stepped forward and fingered the strap of her nightdress.

As she'd hoped, her handsome husband seemed to have given in and she hadn't had to bring out the heavy artillery to do it; but she decided to bring it out anyway.

"Oh, I'm sure I can come up with something you'll like." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she let go of his tie, brushing the nightdress off of her shoulders and Lois watched his eyes follow the silky material as it dropped to the bed.

"Lois, that is _not_ an incentive, it's coercion." Clark sighed and his hands balled up.

"That is the general idea." Her face was warm as she reached for him. "So why don't you take off your nicely pressed shirt so you don't advertise to your parents what we're about to do and I'll take care of the rest."

"No, you won't." Clark stepped back and unbuttoned his shirt, trying to maintain some control of the situation. But Lois wasn't about to let him, when she grabbed him by his open shirt and pulled him back toward the bed. She glanced over at the bedside clock again and looked into his eyes. "Yes, I will," She giggled. "Because you should have learned by now I always get what I want."

"You make me feel like a charity girl." He sighed dramatically and Lois just rolled her eyes.

_John Barrymore had nothing on her husband._

"Oh, shush. You know you want this just as much as I do." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his chin. "Come on, we don't have much time; so we need to make the most of them."

"I'm all yours." He stepped out of his clothes and pushed them away with his foot.

She caught his face in her hands and kissed him, taking him back down to the bed with her and then waited. "Come on, Handsome. Time waits for no man, or expectant wives for that matter."

"Oh, what the hell," He grinned as he stretched out next to her, trying to sound as though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Gee, Clark, I feel so special." Lois feigned a frown and folded her arms across her chest.

"Lois?" She knew he wasn't buying it and truthfully, she didn't mind.

"Shut up and kiss you?" She asked the obvious question and he nodded. So, Lois put her arms around his neck and smiled, "Oh, what the hell."

Then she kissed him.

oooooo

He kissed her shoulder as she trailed her fingers through his hair and a glance at the clock told him that time had run out.

"You're quite a sight, Agent Kent." Lois' breathless laugh made his skin tingle. "This is the first time you've made love with me in your socks."

_She was right._

"And if you have your way it probably won't be the last." Clark got up off the bed, picked up his trousers, tee shirt and freshly rumpled shirt from the floor and pulled them on before he retrieved her nightdress and sat back down, handing it to her. "Is there anything special you'd like for breakfast? I can let Mom know if you do."

"She's going to want to iron your shirt first." She laughed and he smiled when her face flushed as she slipped the nightdress back on and the soft satin pooled around her on the bed. "And she's going to know why."

"_Clark, breakfast is going to get cold." _The sound of his mother's voice drifted up the stairs from the kitchen. _"You don't want to miss your train."_

"That's your cue." Lois grabbed him by his tie to pull him down to kiss him. "So scram."

"I'll scram when you promise me that you'll go back to sleep." He kissed her back before he reached for her hand and held in between the both of his. "Please."

"After what we just did?" She giggled. "I don't think it's going to be possible."

"You could come downstairs with me, but-"

"I know." Lois nodded. "Your mother will probably scold you for letting me get up so early."

"If she does, they'll have a pretty good idea why." Clark leaned over and kissed her. "And I know you want to avoid embarrassing my parents."

"If it were the General, I wouldn't be so concerned." She shrugged, reached for his open shirt and buttoned it up before taking the ends of his tie in her hands. "He'd just make a passing comment about how some people don't need to bother with alarm clocks."

Clark couldn't help but chuckle because he knew how true it was. His father-in-law had always been candid with his thoughts, not caring how it might sound. "If I could wake up every morning to this, I wouldn't either."

"And while I'm expecting, this will probably happen quite frequently." Her face flushed again before she rolled her eyes, "Hormones."

"I'm not complaining." He smiled and reached up to brush her hair away from her face; he'd never felt anything so soft between his fingers. "Before Dad comes knocking on the door, I'd better get out of here."

"Everything is going to be fine, Clark." Lois' voice was reassuring as she tied his tie. "You'll get back to the _Planet_, sit down at your desk and it'll all come back to you."

"Would my return to the _Planet_ also include an incredibly beautiful woman getting off of an elevator at some point and taking me to lunch?" He asked her and couldn't help but remember one particular visit.

'_And I came down to your lovely paper to surprise my handsome reporter so he can take me out to lunch. Isn't that right, Handsome?'_

"Only if you're buying," Lois smiled at him and he got the feeling that she was remembering the same day.

'_Since we're not actually dating, I thought we'd go dutch.'_

'_But no one at the _Daily Planet_ knows that.'_

'_I'm buying you lunch.'_

'_No, you're buying _us_ lunch.'_

'_Semantics.'_

_She shook her head. 'Starvation.'_

"Maybe you'd actually kiss me in the elevator this time." She put her hand on his cheek. "I was so certain you were going to that morning."

"Kissing you in the alcove of the Regent Hotel was much better." He countered with a grin and laid his hand over hers. "Besides, I don't think either of us was ready when you shoved me into the elevator."

"Point taken," She pulled him down for one last kiss before giving him a gentle shove. "Now go, before your dog decides to make an appearance and I start sneezing my head off."

"He really-"

"Loves me, I know." Lois finished for him. "And I think Junior-" Clark frowned. "Or Junior-_ette_ is going to love him."

He stood up, tucked his shirt in and zipped up his trousers. He glanced up when he heard Lois sigh mournfully and he laughed. "I think I'm spoiling you."

"You've got it backward, G-man." She caught her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. "I think I'm the one spoiling _you_."

"But _I_ certainly don't mind." He commented and Lois nodded her agreement.

"Neither do I." She smiled at him. "Now go."

Clark was unsure about leaving her, but at least she didn't look as pale as she did before they-

"Going," He grinned at the unfinished thought while he walked to the door.

"Don't forget the-"

"Glasses," He picked them up off of the dresser. "I know."

"Have a good day."

Clark tucked them in his breast pocket and turned around. "Try to get some rest."

"We will." Lois laughed as he opened the door. "And try not to get fired on your first day back."

"I'll try my best not to."

"_Clark Jerome Kent, I don't want to hear your mother calling you again." _He heard his father's firm voice call him from the bottom of the kitchen stairs and Lois giggled.

"Now you're in for it."

Clark quietly closed the door and walked back to the bed. He kept his eyes on her face as he approached because the clingy gown she wore, emphasizing _every_thing, was much too distracting. "I'll just tell them my wife wouldn't let me out of the room until I made love to her."

"You?" Her eyebrow lifted skeptically even as her face flushed and she struggled to stop a smile. "You may think you're a man of the world, Clark. But not even _you_ can face your parents and screw up enough courage to actually say it."

True, but_-_

He walked back to the door and just before he opened it, looked at Lois with a straight face. "Are you sure?"

He picked up his dress shoes, opened the door and quickly stepped into the hall, closing it behind him, but not before hearing Lois' indignant voice. "Clark Kent, you wouldn't dare!"

Of course he wouldn't and really, she knew that.

He had a smile on his face as he went downstairs and walked into the kitchen. "I'm sorry I took so long."

"Your mother and I were young once too, son." Dad remarked from behind the morning edition of _The Smallville Ledger_. And from the sound of his voice, he'd swear his father was trying not to laugh.

"Jonathan, we're not exactly ancient." Mom feigned a frown as she turned from the stove and set a plate down on the table in front of Clark. "Now eat this before it gets cold. I don't want to put it back in the pie warmer again. And I can press your shirt while you're eating, if you like."

Lois was right, _what a surprise._

"My shirt?" He tried to act as if he didn't realize it was rumpled and plastered a look of surprise on his face.

"Don't play dumb with me, young man. I know for a fact Lois ironed it for you last night." She raised an eyebrow at him, a habit she'd picked up from her daughter-in-law. "She said she wasn't going to have any husband of hers look like his wife couldn't take care of him."

"But I'd wager she did this morning." Dad remarked before he started to cough again and Clark felt his ears burn with embarrassment because he knew his father was trying to cover a laugh.

_Oh, lord. _

To say he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole would be an understatement. And with his parent's enjoying the fact his own wife put him in these situations was icing on the cake.

"Would it be impertinent of me to say that you've been spending too much time with Lois's father?" He sighed and loosened his tie, undid the buttons and took out his cufflinks.

"Yes." They answered him together. Clark shrugged out of the shirt and handed it to his mother, who fished the glasses out of the pocket and handed them to him.

"Just thought I'd ask," He replied before she walked out of the kitchen, headed for the laundry room where her ironing board was always set up. He set the glasses down on the table before he picked up his fork to take a stab at his scrambled eggs.

"You know we don't mean to embarrass you." He heard the sound of the newspaper as Dad lowered it and when Clark glanced up, his father smiled at him. "When you were young, it seemed the least little thing would embarrass you. Even after four years at Central Kansas, you were still such a shy young fellow when you graduated. It wasn't until you left for the Academy and became an agent that you shook the hay out of your hair, as your granddad would have said."

He sighed before he continued. "When you finally came home after five years, your mother and I hardly recognized you. Our bashful boy had become a man who was much too serious, always seemed to be on edge and didn't seem to be comfortable in his own home. Let alone his own skin."

"Dad," Clark remembered those first few weeks, while he readjusted to the peace and quiet of life on the farm, and how out of place he felt.

"Let me finish now." He shook his head. "It wasn't until you brought Lois out here that you finally seemed to relax. She brought out the boy you were before the city changed you into someone we didn't know. And because of her, your mother and I got the first genuine smile out of you since you'd come home." And he smiled. "Lois has been a blessing, son. She's made you happier than you probably thought you deserved-"

_He was right about that. _

"Now she's going to have your child and you're content in a way I've never seen." He reached over and put a hand on Clark's arm. "I don't believe it would have happened with anyone else."

"I know." Clark nodded his agreement with his father's assessment. "We talked about it, before we got married. And I told her if I hadn't gone to the Academy, I never would have met her. Because even as nice a club as the Falcon is, I never would have stepped foot in it if I'd just been a farmer from Smallville."

"Clark, you never would have been just a farmer from Smallville." His father smiled again. "Your mother and I always wanted more than the uncertainty of this life for you. We wanted you to have the chance at something beyond this land, something to give you a sense of worth and a sense of purpose; the way this farm has done for me."

"Dad, my job is so much velvet compared to everything you do everyday." Clark sighed, suddenly feeling so inadequate sitting across from his hard-working father. "I'm happy with what I do and it's given me the chance to see a good bit of the country. But at least when I come home at night, my job gets left at the field office; your job is never ending."

"I won't argue because you're right. But you know as well as I do it's never quite the same job everyday." He replied. "And if you stop and think about it, your job is that way, too."

"It's-"

"Not the same." They finished in unison and then laughed. "It _is _the same. As a field agent, you usually never know where you're going to be from week to week. And every assignment you get sent out on, it's never for the same reason.

"And I must admit to feeling a bit envious of you sometimes." Dad looked embarrassed at his confession as he folded up the paperand set it down on the table. "Now I wouldn't trade what I have here with your mother for all the tea in China. But as part of your job, you've had a chance to see parts of the country she and I can only wonder about."

"That's why I always included a picture postcard in my letters so you could get an idea of where I'd been."

"And your dad made sure to save every one." Mom's amused voice informed him as she walked back into the kitchen with a freshly pressed shirt in her hand. "Ask him to show you the shoe box sometime, where he's kept all the postcards."

Clark took the shirt she held out to him and put his arms through the sleeves.

"You've hardly touched your breakfast." She frowned as he buttoned up the front, slipped the cufflinks back in and tightened the tie Lois had done up for him earlier.

"That's my fault, Martha." Clark's father pushed his chair back. When he stood up, he grabbed his coffee cup and walked to the stove. "I started talking and didn't give him the chance."

"It's okay, Mom," Clark shoved the tail of his shirt into his trousers. "I'm not that hungry anyway."

"First day jitters?" Dad topped off his cup and turned around with a look of concern.

"That's part of it." He nodded and sat down with a worried sigh. "I have a wife and a baby on the way and no clue how to find the fellow who shot at her. I need to find him before Lana plans anything to hurt either one of them."

"Honey, it seems to me since Lana hasn't made much of an effort to hide the fact she dislikes Lois so much, it should only be a matter of time before she shows her hand." Mom picked up his plate from the table and set it in the sink.

"And I'd rather it be before my wife ends up on the wrong side of a revolver." Clark sighed again as he pushed his feet into his shoes and tied the laces.

"Son, just treat this situation the same way you did when you first brought her out here." His father advised. "You relied on your training to keep her out of harm's way and we got through it."

"And you know your father and I will help any way we can, just as we did before." Mom reassured him. "We're all a family now, Clark. You and Lois, the baby, us and Sam, too."

"If he had _his_ way, she'd be on her way to Fort Ryan under armed guard." He sat up and glanced at his parents. "And I have to admit, it's a tempting idea."

"One I'm sure Lois would object to." She set his plate on the stove.

"She sure would." The sound of Lois' sleepy voice startled him and he turned to see her standing at the foot of the stairs, holding out his suit coat. "You forgot this on your way downstairs."

"You didn't need to get up." Clark stood up and rushed over to her, taking it out of her hand. "I could have gone upstairs for it."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I know. But I couldn't sleep anymore, anyway. And besides, junior-ette is hungry."

"Junior-ette?" Mom asked, a lilt of humor in her voice as Clark shrugged into his coat.

"It's a long story." He and Lois answered at the same time and she smiled.

"And my G-man needs to get going or he's going to miss his train." She straightened his tie and gave him a critical look. "Something's missing."

He knew what she was looking for and picked up the black thick-framed glasses from the table and tucked them inside the breast pocket of his coat. "Don't worry, honey. As much as I'd like to forget them, I won't."

"Then you're all ready, aren't you?"

"I think so." He nodded. "My briefcase is by the door and I put in a few pictures for my desk."

"Come on, son." Dad set his coffee cup down on the counter and started toward the parlor. "With all of the jawing this morning we're running a little late."

"Call me if you need me." Clark took Lois' shoulders in a gentle grip and then kissed her, still unsure about leaving her.

"We'll be fine." She smiled at him and kissed him back. "Now go."

"Yes, ma'am," He grinned and Lois gave him a pointed look.

"Clark, you're not going overseas, just to Metropolis." His father called and opened the front door. "I've got your briefcase, so all you need is your hat and coat."

He kissed Lois again and walked to the front door, which his father had left open. After he got his hat and put it on, he shrugged into his overcoat and turned around. _She looked tired. _"Lois?"

"Is this is how it's going to be when this little one starts school?" She put a hand on her abdomen. "If it is, you get to do the honors."

_Message received. _

"I'm going." He stepped out onto the porch and just before he closed the door, he heard the soft voice of his wife follow him.

"I love you, too."

And he was on his way.


	9. Back to the Planet

It was probably a good thing he hadn't eaten anything that morning or had coffee, for that matter. Because the closer the train got to the Metropolis station, Clark's stomach was turning over with a bad case of nerves.

He'd taken his hat off once he'd found a seat and spent the rest of the trip nervously fingering the brim. He hadn't put the glasses on yet because he wanted to wait until the last minute before donning the uncomfortable frames. They pinched his nose and it was a constant battle to keep from tossing the damn things away.

But it was a necessary part of the ruse to convince people that he was nothing more than a reporter. And if that ruse meant that it was going to keep his family safe, then he would do it for them.

The conductor walked through the car and announced the next stop was going to be Metropolis. And as the train lumbered to a stop, the wheels screeched against the rails making the car shudder before it came to a jerky stop.

Clark put his hat on and picked up the briefcase that he'd set between his feet, to head for the closest door. He'd forgotten how much he disliked the morning crowds as most everyone debarked from the train and disbursed into the station.

His feet had no trouble remembering where to take him, so when he suddenly found himself in front of the Daily Planet Building; he was at a loss as to how he got there or when he'd put on the glasses. With a push on the revolving door, it all came back to him as he walked to one of the open elevator cars.

The elevator operator asked him what floor he wanted and Clark requested five.

When the car was full, the operator pulled the outer door closed and then the inner before he pressed a button on the panel and the car dipped softly before it began its ascent. They stopped at every floor along the way with some murmured complaints about how the first floor people should have taken the stairs.

He resisted the urge to laugh, recalling the same complaints when he had been at the _Planet_ the last time. His hands started to shake as the operator called the fifth floor and Clark had to work his way out.

_Some things never change. _

There were inquisitive looks from people as he walked toward Mr. White's office, most of whom he didn't know. And he couldn't help but wonder how many had been called up for the draft, or had enlisted.

Perry White was standing in the doorway as Clark approached and the older man was grinning. "Welcome back, Kent. _The Daily Planet _is happy to have you, even if it _is_ temporary."

"It's nice to be back, Mr. White." He took the hand the editor extended to him and shook.

"How is your lovely bride?" He asked conversationally as he indicated his office.

"She's fine, sir." Clark told him and when he walked inside, Mr. White closed the door behind him. He kept the pleasant look on his face, having to know some of the staff members would be watching, but dropped the casual tone.

"Mr. Kelly told me that she's expecting?" A look of worry passed across his face as he indicated a chair for Clark to sit before he sat down in his own chair.

He felt his face warm and nodded as he sat, setting his briefcase on his knees. "She is."

"Son, at the risk of sounding indelicate; you kids didn't waste any time, did you?" He chuckled and sat back, seeming to enjoy the younger man's embarrassment.

"We hadn't planned on starting our family so soon." Clark shrugged. "But then we hadn't planned on a lot of things, either."

"As my sainted mother used to say, _'Everything happens for a reason.'_ " He remarked before he sat up. "Well then, let's get down to business. As far as anyone on this floor knows, you're here on a temporary assignment from _The Kansas City Star _because two of my reporters just enlisted.

"I'll assign you stories that you can work on that won't interfere with your investigation, just like last time. And I'll give you your old desk back, seein' as how it's been unoccupied since you left." He pushed his chair back and stood up. "Did you bring some pictures with you like I suggested?"

Clark nodded and stood up across from him. "They're in my briefcase."

"Good." He nodded as he walked to the door and opened it, again adopting his conversational tone. "I'll get you settled at a desk and when you're ready, head on over to the Regent Hotel. Some three star job from Fort Ryan is going to be holdin' court in the ballroom there for local newspaper and radio reporters at ten o'clock. In fact, I think you might know him; General Sam Lane?"

_What were the odds? _

"General Lane is my father-in-law."

It hadn't seemed to occur to the older man about their connection and he got a thoughtful look on his face. "So he is. Do you think he would be willing to talk to you one on one? It could be a hell of a scoop for us."

"If he has the time, I don't see why not." The two men stopped at Clark's old desk and he couldn't help but smile.

'_Besides, without me here, you would have spelled Tex Beneke's name wrong again.' _

'_I wouldn't have spelled his name wrong in the _first_ place if you hadn't been trying to distract me.'_

'_I didn't hear any complaints earlier, buster.'_

'_You never gave me the chance.'_

"Good memories?" The amused query made him laugh softly and he nodded.

"Very good."

"Glad to hear it." He put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "When you're ready to leave, just let me know. I gave the Olsen kid the assignment to take pictures and he'll be there waiting for you."

"Will do." He assured Mr. White before the editor headed back to his office and closed the door.

Clark set his briefcase on his desk, took off his hat and hung it on the nearby coat rack. He couldn't help but feel the sense of déjà vu as he unbuttoned his overcoat and shrugged out of it, hanging it next to his hat. How many mornings had he done that the last time?

He sat down in the chair and opened the briefcase. There wasn't much to speak of inside, but he figured that it wouldn't be the case when he went home that evening. But wrapped carefully in cheesecloth were the pictures that he and Lois had picked out. The idea was to show that he was very much a family man, which he really was, because he didn't want to run into his previous problem of unwanted attention.

This time though, he had the added advantage of his wedding ring.

Clark unwrapped the three pictures he'd brought with him and set them up where he could see them. He'd brought back the picture of him with his parents when he'd graduated from Central Kansas. This time around, he also brought a picture of him and Lois, his parents, her father, sister and nephew taken at the Fort Ryan chapel after their wedding. And the last was a picture his mother had taken of him and Lois on Christmas Day, kissing under the mistletoe.

_They'd been doing a lot more than that, not long before then._

He felt his face warm when he thought about how they'd taken advantage of an unexpectedly empty house that morning after his parents had taken Lois's family on a tour of the farm after breakfast.

'_Come on, G-man; where's your sense of adventure? You know they're going to be gone for at _least_ a half-hour, seeing as how Dad will want to show Lucy and Michael how much he knows.' _

He loved that about her, her sense of playfulness; but it never came at the expense of his parents. Lois loved them almost as much as she loved her own father and she would never do anything to deliberately embarrass them.

If there hadn't been time, she never would have suggested it. But as soon as the door closed he found his hand in hers as she pulled him up the stairs behind her, telling him if they didn't bother with preliminaries they could be back downstairs before their family was any the wiser.

But as the group approached the house forty-five minutes later, Clark was certain they knew how he and Lois had spent their time. It didn't matter that they got back downstairs and had bundled up to sit on the porch swing with her arm tucked through his; Mom just took one look at them and laughed softly. And when they all got to the porch, he and Lois stood up and Mom hugged her.

An amused glance from Lois's father and a smothered grin from his own father and her sister told Clark what they were thinking; _'Newlyweds'_.And that was before they'd left for the Regent and subsequently had to turn around and come home.

With that memory swimming around in his head, he checked his desk drawers for paper, notepads, typewriter ribbons, correction erasers and pencils; the desk had been fully stocked. He pulled out a notepad and a freshly sharpened pencil and set them on the desk so he wouldn't forget them.

A check of his wristwatch, Lois's Christmas gift to him, let him know that it was time to hail a cab and hotfoot it over to the Regent, so he pocketed the pad and pencil.

_CJK and LJK married 12-24-42_; the inscription was as much engraved in his memory as on the watch. And as often as he ran his thumb over the delicate etchings when he took it off at night and before he put it back on in the morning, he was a little surprised that the engraving hadn't actually begun to wear.

He grabbed his hat and coat before letting Mr. White know that he was headed over to the briefing and had to hurry as he saw one of the elevator doors open. "Going down?"

"I'm sorry, sir; going up." The operator apologized and he pulled the doors closed. Clark couldn't help but sigh, but at least it gave him time to put his coat on.

"They always seem to be going in the opposite direction, don't they?" A familiar female voice asked and when he looked to his left, Chloe Sullivan was standing next to him. "Welcome back, Mr. Kent. Mr. White says you're going to be here for awhile."

"Good morning, Miss Sullivan." When Clark put his hand out, she took it and shook. "It's nice to be back."

He could tell that she'd changed; her demeanor toward him open and friendly. He didn't feel the instinctive need to be on his guard with what he said or did as he had the last time, lest she misinterpret anything because he sensed that she wouldn't.

"I understand you were married since you were last here." She mentioned casually with an easy smile as she pressed the call button. "The girl who came here to see you?"

"Lois." Clark smiled back. "It was three months on March 24th."

"Mr. White was tickled pink when he got your wedding invitation." Miss Sullivan remarked with a nod and then laughed. "He kept saying, _'I just don't believe it.' _"

"He made an impression on Lois when she met him and she really wanted him there." Clark smiled back. "The truth is, if he hadn't sent me to cover the Glenn Miller show and urged me to invite Lois as my guest; I'm not sure where we'd be now."

"After seeing the two of you together, I think you'd be just where you are." There was a soft _'ding' _and the doors to the other elevator car opened."I know Jimmy's at the Regent waiting and I don't want to be responsible for keeping you. It was nice to see you, Mr. Kent."

"It was nice to see you too, Miss Sullivan." Clark stepped on and when he turned back around, she was gone.

_What a difference a few months could make. _

It hadn't escaped his notice either, that she was smiling when she referred to the young photographer as 'Jimmy'. The last time Clark had seen them, the night of the Glenn Miller show, she wouldn't even give him the time of day.

And he could almost hear Lois's comment; _'Cupid's Arrows hit the unlikeliest of people, G-man. Look at us.'_

He got down to the lobby and walked outside toward the taxi stand in front of the building, ready to hail a driver when he saw an Army staff car pull up to the curb. A young officer, who looked to Clark to be about his age, got out and waited. "Clark Kent?"

"Yes."

"You're a reporter here at _The Daily Planet_?" He asked as Clark approached him. "And you're married to General Sam Lane's daughter?"

"What's this all about?" He asked, his guard quickly going up. One of the first things he learned at the Academy was that agents needed to protect their identities at all times, never knowing when they might be walking into a trap.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kent." He held open a back door. "My orders are to deliver you to General Lane without delay. As to why, I can't tell you because I don't know. And even if I did, I still couldn't tell you because my orders only specify driving you to the Regent Hotel."

"If you'll wait there-" Clark surreptitiously checked his shoulder bars; First Lieutenant. "Lieutenant, I need to go back inside."

"General Lane doesn't like to be kept waiting." A slight frown marred his otherwise implacable features.

"I know the General, and he'll understand." Clark turned to walk back into the building and made a bee line for one of the telephone booths just inside. He tucked himself in to the small space and closed the door before picking up the receiver and dropping a nickel into the coin slot. He dialed the operator and asked her to connect him to the Regent Hotel.

When she'd done that, he looked at his watch and waited while the call connected; _9:20 a.m_.

"_Good morning, this is the Regent Hotel. How may I help you?" _

"Good morning. My name is Clark Kent and I'm a reporter at _The Daily Planet_. I understand that General Sam Lane is there for a ten o'clock briefing."

"_Yes, Mr. Kent; he is." _The voice was pleasant and professional.

"Would it be possible to get him to the telephone? It's urgent that I speak with him."

"_I'm sorry, Mr. Kent. But as I'm sure you realize, there _is_ a war on and the General is a busy man."_

"Believe me, I do. If you could just tell him that it's Clark, I'm certain he'll be able to spare a few minutes."

There wasn't any sound for a moment and he started to wonder if the desk clerk had hung up on him. _"Please hold for the General."_

"Thank you." And the line buzzed in his ear. A few seconds later, it clicked and his father-in-law was on the other end.

"_Are they all right?" _The General asked without preamble, concern for his daughter and grandchild evident in his voice.

"They're both fine, sir." Clark assured him and took a breath. "The reason I called was to ask if you sent a staff car to the _Planet_ to pick me up."

He heard a soft expletive on the other end and then Lois's father cleared his throat. _"I'm sorry, son; I should have called and told you I was going to do that. Lo told me the other day that you were starting at the paper this morning and I wanted to have the chance to talk to you before this damn briefing."_

"That's all I needed to know."

"_You're in good hands with Chet. He was Bradley's driver in North Africa before he was shipped stateside and he'll get you here in no time."_

"Thank you, sir."

"_I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger." _He cleared his throat a second time and then instructed. _"Come ahead to the ballroom and we'll talk more." _

"No need to apologize." He replied and wondered why it was being employed. "I'm used to it."

"_I have no doubt." _The older man chuckled. _"I'll expect you at 0935 hours. And if I know my driver, he'll have you here with two minutes to spare."_

"I'm leaving now." Clark again looked at his watch; _it was going to be close._

"_Affirmative. Lane out." _And the line went dead.

He hung up the receiver and opened the door to the phone booth, moving quickly through the lobby. He was in the clear, so he pushed his way out through the revolving door and walked briskly to the staff car. The Lieutenant was still there waiting by the back passenger door. "Did you get everything squared away, Mr. Kent?"

_He knew._

Clark nodded. "Like a preflight check."

"Very good." He opened the door and waited for Clark to get in and sit down before firmly closing it. He walked around to the driver's side of the car and got in. "I'll have you there with time to spare."

"The General assured me that you would." He replied and in spite of the subterfuge, an idea for a story came to him. "He also said that you were General Omar Bradley's driver before you were sent stateside."

"I was." He glanced briefly in the rear view mirror. "It was an honor."

"Would you be willing to talk to me about it?" Clark extended the offer. "I think a lot of people would be interested to read about an officer who's worked so closely with someone of his stature."

"You'll need to clear it with General Lane, security and all. And if he gives you the green light, I'd be happy to."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Anything to help morale, Mr. Kent." He glanced in the rear view mirror again. "And just so you know, the General is aces and I'll drive for him as long as he wants me to."

"You don't need to sell me on that, Lieutenant; I know."

"I just didn't want you to think that I take being General Lane's driver as a step down from my last posting." He put his attention back to the road.

"I never thought any such thing."

"I appreciate that." His head bobbed as he nodded. They rode in silence the rest of the way until the car pulled up in front of the Regent Hotel. "My orders are to wait here until you're through. I'll be driving General Lane back to Fort Ryan and he's requested that I take you back to the newspaper office first."

"I appreciate that, but it really isn't necessary." Clark opened his door. "I can get a cab back to the _Planet_."

"My orders are clear, Mr. Kent."

"I understand." _Loud _and_ clear_.

"I figured you would." And he did what Dad always did when he was hiding a laugh, he started to cough and Clark closed the door, trying not to laugh himself. Something told him that Lois's father and his driver probably got along well; they seemed to have the same dry sense of humor.

He walked into the lobby of the hotel and memories assailed him from all sides as he took his hat off and looked around. His eyes knew just where to go to find the alcove where he'd kissed Lois for the first time and he felt his face warm at the memory.

_It was a gentle joining of warm lips and he had to remind himself that it wasn't supposed to mean anything. He had to remember not to tighten his arms around her waist and hold her the way he shouldn't have wanted to._

_Yet he did, badly._

_But when she unexpectedly sighed into his kiss, he stopped thinking altogether and was forced to face all of the unspoken and unacknowledged feelings that had developed for her in such a short period of time._

_And they scared the hell out of him._

Clark gripped his hat in his hand and gave himself a mental shake as he headed toward the Regent's ballroom. When he approached the open doors, he saw the stage at the other end of the room and could almost hear the Glenn Miller Orchestra playing 'Moonlight Serenade'; the song they were playing as he'd walked Lois to the dance floor after kissing her in the alcove that night.

'_I believe that I promised you a dance.' He said to her and she looked unsure as what to do. 'I won't step on your toes, I promise.' He tried to lighten the sudden tension as Lois took the arm he offered and he pressed her hand gently against his side._

'_You do and you'll hear about it.' She warned._

'_I'm sure I will.' He nodded as they walked to the dance floor to join the other couples. When they got there, he pulled her toward him and leaned in close to her ear. 'You let me know if I'm holding you too close.'_

_He slipped his arm around her waist and her hand found his shoulder as his free hand took hers and they began to dance. It was a respectable distance, but he could feel the tension as he held her. And that's why he was so surprised, given everything that had already happened when she made an unexpected suggestion. 'It wouldn't be out of the question if you wanted to hold me a little closer.'_

When he finally ventured in, Clark glanced up at the high beamed ceiling, with its Plaster of Paris medallions and cut glass light fixtures suspended underneath. He remembered how the refracted light from a mirrored ball that rotated slowly above the floor had bathed the dim, smoky room in hazy warmth that night.

He'd never been a man given to romance, at least not before he'd met Lois. But even _he_ had to admit to himself that under the unusual circumstances, that night ended up being one of the most romantic of his life.

His shoes thumped against the polished hardwood when he stepped onto the dance floor and stopped to take a good look around. Press tables had been set up around the periphery and the floor itself had a movie projector and screen set up, several charts on easels which were currently covered and a table with stacks of papers; no doubt information that the reporters would be taking with them when they left.

"You all right, son?" Clark heard his father-in-law's voice and turned to see him standing on the stage, in his Class A uniform; the same uniform he'd worn when he walked Lois down the aisle. "I'll wager it looks a lot different from the last time you were here."

He nodded and felt his face warm. "That night changed our lives."

The General chuckled as he moved down a set of side stairs and walked toward his son-in-law. "And they're going to change again in about six months."

"It seems so far away."

"Clark, these next few months are going to go by faster than you expect. And when it comes time for Lo to have that baby, you'll wonder where the time went." He indicated one of the tables and then sat down. "Each time Ellen and I went through it, it seemed that no sooner had she found out we were expecting then suddenly, she had a brand new baby in her arms."

Clark sat down and crossed an ankle over one knee, mirroring his father-in-law and hung his hat on the other knee. "Lois says she isn't showing yet, but _I_ can see it."

"That's because you're looking at her as the expectant father that you are." He grinned. "She may not think you're going to notice those things, but it looks to me as though you already are."

"From the night we met, I thought she was pretty." Clark smiled back with a nod. "But in her condition, she's beautiful."

"She might not believe you as time goes on, but you shouldn't hesitate to tell her that." He sat back and offered some husbandly advice. "You know that our Lo isn't a vain girl, but she's always taken pride in her appearance. And I imagine she's probably feeling a little blue right now because things aren't fitting her as well as they once did. And the farther along she gets, she's going to get a little emotional."

"She and Mom have been talking about it." He nodded again. "She says that as much as she likes Dr. Francis and how no-nonsense he is, he's not a woman. And because he's never been through it himself, it's nice to hear about it from someone who already has. She also says that he reminds her of you."

Clark's comment seemed to surprise him because his eyebrows lifted for a moment.

"Well, hell." He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "That's high praise coming from her." He then ran a hand along the back of his neck; a gesture Clark had learned was one of nervousness. "So, how are _you_ doing?"

"Sir?"

"Lois filled me in with what's been happening and why you were sent back to the _Planet_." He unfolded his leg, sat forward and put his forearms on his knees, lowering his voice. "How much danger is my little girl in?"

"I need to find the fellow that Lana's trying to hire." He glanced nervously at Lois's father. "The one that Lex hired the first time."

"So what's your battle plan?"

"I'm going to use the paper and the contacts I made at the Metropolis Police Department to see if I can find out where he is." He felt his chest tighten with worry. "And if I can get to him before he does anything, I'm hoping that he'll help me put Lana Luthor away for good this time. She's threatened my family, Sam and I'm sure as hell not going to let her get away with it."

The General nodded. "I'll do anything I can to help in that effort, you know that. We're family now, son and we have to stick together."

His comment made Clark smile and the pressure in his chest lessened. "Mom said the same thing this morning."

"Your mother is a smart woman."

"That she is, sir." He nodded his agreement and found himself looking at his watch as the sound of voices from the lobby started to crescendo as the reporters gathered. _9:50_. "Well, I'd better let you get ready. Is there any particular reason for this briefing?"

"Nothing urgent." General Lane shook his head and stood up; Clark following suit. "The Army and the Navy decided to do this twice a month and I'm just one of the designated targets for today to take questions about what's been happening overseas."

He walked to the easels and began to pull off the covers. There were maps of the Solomon Islands, North Africa and the Atlantic shipping lanes.

"You see, Fort Ryan and the Olathe Naval Air Station were getting calls from WMET Radio and from Perry White at the _Planet, _among others, complaining that we were being less than forthcoming about combat operations. So the Commander from the Air Station and I will be briefing all of you to the best of our ability about current Army and Navy campaigns."

"The one thing I've learned since I started at the _Planet_ was that the press doesn't like the phrase _'Classified Information'_." Clark remarked with a shrug. "And I think it's why Mr. White gives me assignments like this, because it's a phrase he knows I understand."

"I don't like having to tell a reporter that information is classified." The General frowned and shoved the covers under the table. "Families around here want to know what's happening because they've got husbands, sons or even brothers serving somewhere and they just want to know what they're in for.

"But if we're not careful, information that's vital to the safety of our soldiers and sailors can end up in the wrong hands and our goose is cooked." He sighed and ran a hand through his short cropped hair. "And if I have to put up with a reporter getting his nose out of joint to save the lives of our boys overseas, I'll do it."

"General Lane?" Clark looked toward the stage and saw a navy officer in his dress blues walking toward them, cap tucked under his arm. "I'm Commander Mark Ellison and I apologize for being late. I was needed at the station."

"No apologies necessary, Commander." The General stuck out his hand and the officers shook before he indicated Clark. "This is Clark Kent, a reporter at _The Daily Planet_ who also happens to be my son-in-law."

"Mr. Kent."

"Commander Ellison." Clark took the hand that was proffered and shook before he looked back to the General. "I'll let you finish getting set up."

"Tell Lo that dinner is still a go for tomorrow." He seemed a little uncomfortable talking about personal business. "And if that changes, I'll be sure to call."

"I'll tell her." He assured the other man before giving a nod to the navy officer. "Commander."

"Mr. Kent." He gave a return nod before Clark turned and headed out of the ballroom to join the other reporters and look for Jimmy Olsen. He'd been so preoccupied with the past when he'd come in, that he hadn't thought to look for the _Planet_'s photographer.

But Jimmy Olsen found him.

"Mr. Kent." He grinned, his camera hanging around his neck; his bowtie askew.

Just at a glance the young, slightly rumpled cub photographer didn't look like someone who had recently won an award for one of the photographs he took that accompanied Clark's story about the opening of the B-17 plant the previous year.

Mr. White had told Clark at the wedding reception that he'd been so impressed with the attention to detail, that after he'd submitted a particularly fine photograph to the Tri-Counties Newspaper Association for consideration, he'd given him a one page photo spread in the Regional Section of the Sunday _Planet_ to showcase more of the pictures he'd taken.

He'd also relented and given Chloe Sullivan the task of writing up a brief story about the photographs and composing captions for them. She initially balked at having to write what she'd described as 'fluff', but was told she had to start somewhere if she was serious about being a reporter.

And from there, he'd chuckled; nature finally took its course with Olsen and Sullivan.

"Mr. White told us you were coming back." His grin was infectious and Clark smiled back.

"It's only temporary."

"So what was the pow-wow with the big Chief all about?" He glanced toward the ballroom, where the reporters were starting to filter in.

"Family business." He clapped his hand on the young man's shoulder and guided him toward the open doors. "The General is my father-in-law."

Jimmy's eyes went wide and he stopped. "Really? Do you have to salute him?"

Clark laughed and got him moving. "Come on, we're going to be the last one's in there."

"It's swell to have you back, Mr. Kent."

"It's swell to _be_ back, Jimmy." He answered as they walked through the doors and he really meant it.

_It was._


	10. Business as Usual

Jonathan came back to the house after dropping Clark off at the train station with the morning mail in his hand, including a large manila envelope addressed to Lois. It had postage and was hand cancelled from the main post office in Granville, but there was no return address.

He frowned as he handed it to her, unsure what it might be and didn't hesitate to say so. Lois reminded him that Lionel had said he would be sending her paperwork, but he shook his head stubbornly; _just like Clark_. "He said he'd have it delivered by courier and this came through the post office."

Martha was just as wary and urged her to call Lionel, just to be safe. So after she finished breakfast and got dressed, she put in a call to Lionel's office at the Falcon and spoke to him directly. He apologized for the change in delivery and explained why.

"_The more I thought about sending it to you through a courier, the more nervous I became." _Lionel elaborated. _"And since the idea was to keep this as quiet as possible, I realized that a courier might draw too much attention. So I had my man take the envelope into Granville to have the postmaster hand cancel it himself and put it in the mail."_

"Lionel, this is silly." Lois pressed a palm to her forehead and rubbed it. She understood what he was trying to do, but it was just too much. "She's turned our lives upside down long enough. So give me an hour and I'll be in to work."

"_My dear, I would hesitate to say yes even if you weren't expecting." _She heard him sigh on the other end of the line. _"But as you _are_ and with Lana's dislike of you no secret, we don't know what else she may do when she hears of your happy news. So I'm going to insist that you continue on from the farm."_

"Lionel."

"_Please don't argue." _She could hear how worried he sounded. _"Lois, I admire your fighting spirit and having met your father, I can see where you get it. But you know better than I that it is incumbent upon you to protect the life you're carrying because no one else can."_

"I don't like this."

"_I don't care for this subterfuge either. But as soon as my daughter-in-law is under lock and key, I promise that you can come back to the Falcon." _

If Clark _let_ her, after all of this was over.

Lois immediately chastised herself for the thought because she knew he wasn't the type of man to forbid her to do anything; it wasn't how their relationship worked, or their marriage for that matter.

From the night they met, he'd respected her independence and a need to stand on her own. And even though she didn't have to any longer, she certainly wasn't going to become one of those wives who depended on her husband for every little thing.

If she did, she wouldn't be the woman he loved or the woman he'd married.

"_Lois?"_

"I'm still here." She frowned and rubbed her forehead again. "The Lane in me wants to march over to the Luthor mansion right now and let her have it, for what she's doing to us. But I'm _not_ a Lane anymore and I have a husband and a baby to think about. So the _Kent_ in me says that I need to protect my family, just as Clark is."

"_Well said, Lois; Clark is a very lucky man to have you." _She could almost see him smile. _"As for Lana, I don't think we're going to have to wait much longer for her to make her move. She's been like a cat on a hot tin roof lately and that isn't her way; she's usually an ice queen."_

"And I should feel comforted by that?"

"_Her behavior is always such when she's up to something." _He explained. _"I could always tell when she'd cast her net for some unsuspecting fellow because she was afraid of Lex discovering that she was cuckolding him. As much as she may have hated him, she was more afraid of him; of what she thought he might do to her."_

"She always looked to me like the cat that got the cream."

"_It's pure acting talent. Lana always tried to appear as though she didn't care what Lex thought of what she was doing. But once she was out of the public eye, she'd lock herself in her room."_

"Did he ever strike her?" Lois couldn't comprehend a husband treating his wife in such a way, even if her name _was_ Lana Luthor.

"_I don't believe so. I think his power over her was always the possibility, not the inevitability."_

"I almost feel sorry for her." Lois said quietly because she nearly did.

"_I wouldn't waste your sympathy. Lana was no naive miss when she cast her net for Lex and I was heartsick when I found out she'd deliberately miscarried my grandchild. But at the same time I was relieved because I knew that poor child wouldn't have to grow up with parents such as my son and daughter-in-law."_

"Lionel!" His harsh words surprised her because he'd never spoken so bluntly about his family.

"_Did I shock you with such candor, my dear? I do apologize." _She knew the apology was for shocking her, not for his admission. _"Lillian tried to warn me our son would turn out as he did if I didn't start treating him more as my child and less as an acquisition. By the time I realized how true her words were, she was dying and Lex was beyond redemption." _

"But _you _weren't." Lois wasn't going to let him take all the blame. "Lionel, Lex is a grown man and if you could see the error of yourways, maybe Lex can see the error of _his_."

"_I appreciate your loyalty, Lois; but Lex truly may be out of reach. I dismissed him during much of his childhood, so to make up for it Lillian showered him with attention. Her purpose was sincere, to make up for the lack of his father, but I fear all she did was spoil him. And that, too, is my fault."_

"Do you love Lex?" She asked because an idea came to her how the cue ball might be able to undo this whole mess.

She didn't hear anything for several moments before he finally answered. _"I wasn't expecting such a question. But since you asked, yes; I do love my son. And if there were any way I could show him how it feels to do the right and proper thing, I would."_

"Do you think he'd be willing to help us?"

"_What makes you ask?"_

"When we saw him at the Regent that night, Lex must have known about the affair because he seemed intent on rubbing Lana's nose in the fact that I was with Clark and not her."

"_And because he was taking such pleasure in seeing her so unhappy, he'd take even more pleasure in seeing her in prison."_

"You said yourself that she trapped him into marriage by getting herself in the family way. And then once she did, she remedied her condition. If I were in his shoes, I'd want to do what I could to make her pay for that."

"_Alexander has never been one who likes to lose." _Lois could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he mused out loud. _"Even though he wasn't particularly keen on being a father or a husband for that matter that child _was_ his. But the baby they may have had, had Lana been unsuccessful in her endeavor, would have merely been a pawn between them. And my grandchild would have grown up with two parents who didn't love him, unlike that little one you're carrying."_

"Lionel." She didn't know what else to say. He sounded so sad, because in spite of Lana's machinations it sounded as though he'd been looking forward to becoming a grandfather; a clean slate with a new generation.

"_Don't mind me." _She heard a tight chuckle. _"I seem to be mellowing in my later years and have become somewhat introspective."_

"I know it's not the same thing-" Lois rest a gentle hand on her abdomen. "But Clark and I would like you to be part of our baby's life. He needs to know that not all Luthor's are bad."

He was quiet and she waited.

"_Thank you." _Lionel uncharacteristically cleared his throat. _"If Lex will see me, I'll speak to him about offering some assistance to the both of you. I don't believe he ever had anything personal against Clark, in fact I think he was rather impressed that your husband was able to wrest himself away from Lana's charms."_

"I gather that she was always the one to end her liaisons?"

"_I had the misfortune of being witness to one such termination." _He sighed. _"She was quite blunt with the unfortunate fellow and informed him that she'd tired of him. If memory serves, it was just after she'd reeled in your unsuspecting FBI agent. She presented an engraved cigarette case to the poor boy with a one hundred dollar bill folded inside."_

That pricey gift was in such stark contrast to what Clark had received when he'd broken things off with Lana; _he'd_ gotten an ashtray thrown at his head. "Should I even ask what was engraved on the case?"

"_I think you already know." _He quipped and she smiled at her boss's amusement.

"Her initials."

"_She wanted him to always remember her." _

"And to think all Clark got from me last Christmas was a watch." She laughingly joked.

"_It was a watch that you took a great deal of care in choosing." _He chided her gently, not letting her demean her own gift; even in jest. _"And that you had engraved with each of your initials and wedding date. It may not have seemed much of a gift to you, but I imagine it meant the world to him."_

As Lois looked at her wrist, with the small charms on the bracelet Clark had given _her_, she knew just how he felt. "It did and I'm glad I did it."

"_Very good. So is there anything else?" _

"No." Lois shook her head and glanced at the two people responsible for giving her, her husband. "And now I can tell my in-law's that everything is all right because you did send the envelope."

That got their attention.

"_You're very lucky to have them, Lois."_

"Don't I know it." She smiled at them. "I'll have that paperwork sent back to you in the Wednesday morning mail."

"_That's fine." _He replied before his voice suddenly sounded muffled. Someone must have come into his office and he'd covered the telephone receiver. _"Lois, I must run. Marco just came in from the kitchen and he's mumbling something in Italian. You don't happen to know Italian do you?"_

"Not enough to help."

"_Well, no matter; we always somehow manage to understand each other. If I'm able to speak to my son, I'll telephone you."_

"Clark and I would appreciate that, thank you."

They exchanged good-byes and Lois hung up the receiver only to face Clark's parents.

"Is everything all right?" Jonathan put the newspaper down, a worried frown on his face.

"Everything is fine. Lionel sent the envelope because he thought a courier would bring too much attention. And he's also going to talk to Lex and see if he'd be willing to help us take care of the situation with Lana before it gets out of hand."

Martha's expression was troubled and she took a deep breath. "Honey, what did you mean when you said that she remedied her condition?"

Lois was fairly certain her mother-in-law already knew the answer, but needed to hear it for herself. "Lex and Lana had to get married because she was expecting. And at some point after the wedding, she did something to change that."

Her eyes teared up and Jonathan reached for her hand. "What did she do?"

Lois' fingers spread protectively over her abdomen, as though somehow trying to protect her own child and shook her head. "He didn't say and frankly, I'm glad he didn't because no matter how you feel about someone, you shouldn't take it out on a helpless child."

"Your baby is very lucky to have two parents who love him so much." Martha dashed a hand across her eyes.

"Or _her_." She giggled and they looked at her quizzically. "He won't come out and say it, but I think Clark really wants a girl."

Jonathan laughed softly and shook his head. "I can definitely see my son as a 'shotgun on the porch, waiting for his daughter' kind of a father; if you _do_ have a girl."

"Don't laugh, _Grandpa_. You'd be right there, standing behind him."

His face flushed and he smiled at his wife. "That's the first time you've called me 'Grandpa', _Grandma_."

"So it's fitting that you're the first one to call me 'Grandma', isn't it?" She smiled back and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "And I sure like how it sounds, don't you?"

"It'll be even nicer when I hear it from our grandchild, boy _or_ girl." He chuckled and looked at Lois.

"That was very diplomatic, Jonathan." She patted his arm and stood up. "Lois, I was planning on going over to the Carmichael's if you'd like to come with me. Lydia called me while you were upstairs and asked if I could bring her a half dozen eggs and some cream."

"A half dozen? Martha." Jonathan remarked as he stood up, coffee cup in hand. "The Carmichael's have their own chickens and a cow, for that matter."

"I know that, Jonathan." She calmly answered his slightly reproving tone. "But you forget that she came to my rescue when I needed extra eggs and cream so I could finish making the wedding cake for your son and daughter-in-law."

He chuckled again and put his hands up. "I give."

"I thought you would." She smiled and kissed his cheek again before she faced Lois. "If you're interested it would get you out of the house for awhile and we'll take the road through the back forty."

"I'd like that." Lois replied without a second thought.

"You might also think about bringing along some of your apple turnovers." Martha added with what Lois could only describe as a mischievous smile. "Lydia is convinced that a city girl can't manage her way around a kitchen."

"And you think I'm the city girl to prove her wrong?"

"Lydia and I were young brides together, and she's forgotten that _I_ was a city girl before Jonathan and I were married." Her face flushed and she laughed softly.

"Martha." Jonathan chuckled as he shook his head. "I believe there _is_ something in the Bible about-"

"I just want to remind her that you don't have to grow up on a farm to know how to cook, or bake." She crinkled her nose at him. "And my star pupil, who also happens to be my daughter-in-law, is the perfect example."

'_Ladies and Gentlemen, step right up and see the culinary oddity, who couldn't find her way around a kitchen before she was taken in by a kindly farm family and taught how to cook.'_

Lois gave herself a mental shake as she brushed away the unkind thought. Martha _was_ proud of her and had every right to be because she'd taken a girl with two left thumbs under her wing and taught her not only how to cook, but plan a meal.

_It was something a mother would have done for her daughter._

"Lois, are you all right?" She felt Martha's gentle hand on her arm and looked into a concerned pair of blue eyes that were so much like her husband's.

"Would it hurt your feelings if I said I felt like the bearded lady that you'd see at the circus?" She hunched her shoulders defensively and Jonathan laughed out loud. Martha tried to give him a quelling look, but was laughing herself. "I _did_ make you sound something like a sideshow curiosity, didn't I?"

"Just a little." Lois was cringing inside. She'd never been even remotely critical of Clark's mother before because she loved and respected her.

"I'm sorry, honey; that's the last thing I wanted to do." The older woman was immediately contrite and took Lois' hand. "You've become a fine cook and wonderful baker all on your own."

And when Lois shook her head in protest, Martha shook hers to disagree. "Lois, whether you want to admit it or not, you always had the ability. The only thing that I did was give you some guidance."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"You most certainly could have, if you'd really wanted to. But it seems to me that you never had the desire before you came to stay with us."

Lois smiled and laughed self-consciously. "So this is all _your_ fault."

"I take full responsibility." Martha nodded and then hugged her. "When you came out here, I saw a young woman who had some interest in the workings of a kitchen but didn't know how to go about learning. And I knew that before you got married, you were going to have to learn. Little did I know that it would be my son you'd end up marrying or having a baby with."

Her eyes started to glisten with unshed tears and Lois tried not to smile. "We were always a happy family, Lois. But when Clark brought you into our lives, you made us a complete family."

"That's because you finally got the daughter you always wanted." Jonathan grasped her shoulders from behind and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I've got chores to do, so I'll see you ladies later."

He flashed a grin at Lois as though to say, _'That's your mother-in-law, sentimental as always.'_

'_And we love her for it, don't we?' _Her answering smile told him.

"All right, you." Martha patted one of the hands on her shoulder with a smile of her own. "Go do your chores while Lois and I go over to the Carmichael's."

"Yes, ma'am." He kissed her again before he picked up his coffee cup and headed to the front door. "I'll see you both when you get back."

After he'd closed the door behind him, Martha shook her head. "If you'd rather not, I understand."

"Well I'm not sure I do." Lois frowned in confusion. "You asked me if I wanted to go with you and I still do."

"All right. But you don't need to bring the turnovers." She replied. "Jonathan didn't say it, but I _was_ being prideful. I wanted you to take something you baked to Lydia's because I wanted to show her that it _is_ possible for city girls to cook."

"Mrs. Carmichael grew up out here, didn't she?"

_Who knew that Martha Kent had a competitive streak? _

"She grew up on a farm outside Granville." Martha shook her head again. "I met her when Jonathan took me to the Grange dance when we were courting. She was the only girl there who would talk to me and she-" Martha smiled. "Now how did she put it? She took me under her wing and taught me the ways of farm life."

"Sounds like someone _I_ know." Lois teased.

"I didn't have the heart to tell her that Jonathan's mother had already begun to show me what I would need to know." She laughed softly and walked over to the ice box to collect the eggs and cream she'd set aside. "His parent's seemed to know before either one of us did, that I'd become part of their family."

"They sound like wonderful people."

"They were." She put the items in a paper sack. "My parent's weren't quite as accepting of Jonathan because they wanted more for me than being the wife of a farmer. But if I'd chosen the life they wanted me to have in Metropolis, I wouldn't have had the wonderful life I've had here with him and I wouldn't have had my baby boy."

"And _I_ wouldn't be here." Lois stated as she walked to the counter to put some of her apple turnovers on a plate and then covered them with wax paper. She picked up the plate and walked through the parlor, headed to the front door. "Now let's go show Lydia Carmichael that it _is_ possible for a city girl to make her way around a kitchen."

As she grabbed a light sweater off of the coat rack with her free hand, she heard her mother-in-law's soft response. "That's my girl."

oooooo

When they got to the Carmichael place, the first thing Mrs. Carmichael noticed was Lois.

She was nice as could be about it, but made no bones about the fact that she could tell Lois was expecting. "You have that glow about you, dear. And it looks as though you're trying to camouflage your figure."

"Lydia, don't embarrass her." Martha admonished her gently.

"What's there to be embarrassed about?" She smiled and slipped the plate of turnovers out of Lois' suddenly trembling hands as she ushered the women inside. "The cycle of life is nothing to be embarrassed about."

_Oddly enough, she sounded like the General._

"How did you know?" Lois asked curiously because she knew Clark's mother wouldn't have divulged anything so personal without first asking if it was all right. "I haven't known that long myself."

"It's just a matter of observation." She shrugged and led the way into the Carmichael's kitchen. It was bigger than the Kent's, but it certainly didn't lack for charm. "And a little woman's intuition."

"Lydia." Lois heard the caution in Martha's voice as her friend took the bag she proffered and set it in the icebox before she moved to the stove.

"Thank you for that, Martha and don't worry." She shook her head and picked up the percolator to pour coffee into three cups. "No one will hear it from me. Nature will reveal it in time."

"Clark and I appreciate that." Lois sat down next to Martha as a cup of coffee was put down in front of her. The smell of the fresh brew wafted up and when it hit her nose, Lois' hands started to shake and she felt her stomach turn over. As calmly as she could, because she didn't want to offend Martha's friend, she slid the cup away from her.

"Lydia, would you mind making some chamomile tea for Lois instead?" A reassuring hand covered hers. "Coffee makes her green around the gills these days."

"I'm sorry, honey." Mrs. Carmichael apologized as she turned and whisked the cup off of the table. "I should have thought to ask. I had the same problem when I was carrying Becky."

_Becky? _Lois had wondered why the name Carmichael sounded so familiar to her and now she remembered why. Becky was the girl who'd coaxed Clark up into the Kent's hayloft the night of their Senior Prom and then got caught by Jonathan.

'_When you get to know my dad a little better, you'll find out that nothing seems to happen on this farm without his knowing about it.' Then to Lois' utter astonishment, the Fed actually blushed and seemed to feel the need to explain. 'The night of Senior Prom, I brought my date back here to show her the hayloft.'_

'_Those farmerettes fall for anything, don't they?' Lois raised an eyebrow of her own at him. 'Really, G-man; the hayloft?'_

_His face reddened even more, if that were even possible and he cleared his throat. 'Actually, it was her idea.'_

'_Let me guess, she wanted a roll in the hay with a farmer?' And then she started to laugh. And she laughed._

'_It's not funny.' He shoved his hands into the pockets of his overcoat and hunched his shoulders together, making him look less like a Fed and more like a disobedient son. 'Dad caught us up there, even though nothing happened.'_

'_Nothing happened because your dad caught you before anything could.' She couldn't help but interject with another snort of laughter._

Smallville just seemed that much smaller.

"Here you go." A cup of tea was set down in front of her and Mrs. Carmichael was smiling as she also put down the plate of turnovers. "I imagine chamomile tea is about all you can stomach these days."

"Sometimes I even have trouble with that." She admitted.

"It _is_ hard to know what you can or can't eat in the beginning until your body tells you." The older woman sighed and speared a turnover with her fork, putting it on her dessert plate. "And every time I was expecting, it always seemed to be something different."

Lois sighed inwardly; _it could be worse next time_?

"Goodness, Martha; these turnovers are wonderful." Martha's friend took a bite and nodded. "Why haven't you ever shared these before?"

"Because I didn't make them, Lois did." Her mother-in-law revealed and though her outward demeanor was calm, Lois would bet that Martha was jumping up and down for joy inside and thinking, _'A city girl _can_ cook.'_ "The recipe was her mother's and it was one of the first things Lois ever made for us."

_'Please don't lay it on too thick.' _Lois pleaded to Martha with a worried look and with another pat on her hand, she nodded her understanding.

"Well if you don't mind my suggesting it, I think you should enter these in the Lowell County Fair this summer." The unexpected suggestion had Lois blinking like an owl in disbelief and her mother-in-law smiling at her. "If you were farther along I wouldn't have even suggested it, because after six months you start to feel ungainly. But I _do_ think these could win a prize, if you were interested."

_Really? _

"What do _you_ think, Martha?"

Her look said it all, _'Yes!' _But instead, she demurred. "I think that's really up to Lois. After all, she'll be the one making them."

"I'm not trying to put you on the spot, honey; honestly." Mrs. Carmichael shook her head. "It's just that the county fair is usually the time that the new brides in our community have a chance to meet each other and let others have the opportunity to sample what they're feeding their husbands."

Lois couldn't stop it before the question popped out. "And?"

She laughed, not taking offense as Lois belated worried she might, as she took another bite. "And it would give Smallville a chance this year to take home a prize." She sighed with a troubled frown on her face. "I don't mean to sound unkind, but Smallville has not been well represented with our young married girls in the last few years. And you, my dear, can change that."

"I'm really not that good of a cook yet." It was Lois' turn to demure as she took a sip of her tea. "Even with Martha helping me."

"My Ed would certainly disagree with you." Mrs. Carmichael wouldn't be deterred. "He got a sample of your beef stew one afternoon when he was helping Jonathan over at your place. And he was embarrassed to tell me that your cornbread nearly rivaled mine." She laughed and then took a sip of coffee before she got up and walked back to the stove. "Now for my wonderful husband to admit that, he had to have been mighty impressed."

"Welcome to Smallville, Lois." Martha said quietly with a proud smile. "You just got Lydia Carmichael's stamp of approval."

"Let's just hope I can live up to it." She replied and took another sip.

"I have no doubt you can."

"That makes one of us." Lois quipped and Martha laughed as Mrs. Carmichael came back to the table with the coffee pot in one hand and Martha's plate in the other. "I wanted to return this now because I'm likely to forget if I don't and I gave it a quick wash, so you won't have to."

"Thank you, Lydia." Martha took a sip of her coffee. "But you didn't need to do that."

"Nonsense." Mrs. Carmichael objected with a brush of her hand. "You've done the same for me and I just wanted to return the favor."

"I appreciate that."

"Well, _Ed_ will appreciate the turnovers as much as I do." She smiled. "Jonathan happened to mention them the afternoon they had your stew. Those two men of yours are very lucky to have you and Martha feeding them."

"They'll never starve, that's for certain." Clark's mother joked. "If they didn't both work as hard as they did, we might have had a couple of chubby husbands on our hands."

"And seeing as how we already have a chubby wife-" Lois couldn't help but smile at her own humor and put a hand on her abdomen.

"Oh, pooh." Martha's friend smiled warmly at her. "You're not chubby, dear; you're expecting. And as one who has been through it a few times, I can tell you that there _is _a difference."

"Don't mind her." Martha tucked a loose lock of hair behind Lois' ear and then rubbed her shoulder. "My daughter-in-law may try to convince people that she's unhappy with how she looks, but all you have to do is look at her face and it tells the whole story."

"Yes, I'm gaining weight." She glanced at the woman sitting next to her, who slipped an arm around her shoulders and hugged Lois to her.

Mrs. Carmichael laughed as Martha feigned a frown. "All that matters is that my son thinks that you're even more beautiful than the day he married you."

"He needs glasses." She shook her head.

"Honey, I've known Clark since he was a baby. And I can tell you that he's never been one to throw away a compliment. And if he's said that, you can be darn sure he means it."

Lois looked at her mother-in-law and her friend, grateful that they had understood her attempt at sarcasm. "Daddy did say he was a keeper."

"And a three-star general can't be wrong." Martha laughed softly and then stood up. "I'm sorry, Lydia but I need to get this girl home because she's got some work to do."

Lois and the other woman stood. "Please think about what I said, Lois. I think your turnovers would do very well, if you chose to enter them."

"I'll think about it." She promised and Mrs. Carmichael led the way out of the kitchen and through to the front hallway.

"That's all I'm asking." She opened the door and Martha and Lois stepped out onto the porch. "It was nice to finally have a chance to talk to you Lois. Wedding days are never a good time to become acquainted with your newest neighbor. And I can honestly say that young Clark has a keeper himself."

That was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her, outside of her family and Clark's and Lois was deeply touched. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_ for making that boy so happy." She touched Lois' arm. "By the way; if you're in need of maternity clothes later on, please don't hesitate to ask. I saved everything and there might be something suitable for you to wear."

"You don't-"

"I know." She nodded. "I just figured that you probably didn't want to spend a lot of time altering clothes or spending money that you'll want to be saving. And with rationing the way it is, you might not be able to get anything anyway."

Lois wasn't sure what she'd find to wear from such outdated clothes, but appreciated the gesture just the same. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just let Martha know when you have some time and then you and I can go through them."

"I'll do that."

"Have a good day now." Mrs. Carmichael gave them a small wave and closed the door. They walked in silence to the truck and then Lois sighed.

"What is it, honey?"

She opened the passenger door and felt herself smile. "I was just thinking that the more people I meet and the less I'm in town, or in Metropolis for that matter, I feel less like a city girl." And she got in, closing the door.

"That's the way it should be." Martha handed her the clean dish and got in. She put the key in the ignition and started the engine. "It starts with little things like that and the next thing you know, you've built a life and raised a family."

"It still feels so strange, though." It was hard for her to admit that because she wasn't in the least bit unhappy.

"It probably will until the baby comes." She nodded. "But once you're changing diapers and walking the floor with him _or _her, you'll suddenly feel as though your whole life has fallen into place."

"Are you speaking from experience?" She laughed and her mother-in-law blushed.

"As a matter of fact, I am. And it's a life I wouldn't trade for anything."

"Me, either."

"And that's as it should be when you love someone."

_It certainly was._


	11. Hope Springs Eternal

It was the kind of early afternoon that Lois had come to love since she'd been living at the farm. And on that particular April day the sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and a gentle spring wind rustled the leaves on the trees.

The windows all around the house, upstairs and down were open to catch the breeze because Saturday was Martha's baking day. She knew as spring faded into summer, her mother-in-law wouldn't have many days like this once the heat settled in, so she liked to take advantage of the lovely weather.

For _her_ part, she was currently kneeling on a garden bench planting the last of the summer vegetables for their Victory Garden. Though Martha had always maintained a garden, she and Lois had decided together to enlarge it to can and freeze as much as they could because of rationing.

They'd also gotten together with some of the other women from the surrounding farms in Smallville and decided to give a good portion of what they grew to Fort Ryan and the Olathe Naval Air Station, seeing as how they were so close.

So much was going overseas, that they wanted to make sure the boys on the nearby bases had as much fresh fruit and vegetables as their gardens could provide. Their hard work had been noted in _The Smallville Ledger _and_ The Daily Planet _and while not specifically named, Jonathan had saved the articles because of the Kent women's contribution for their local 'Farm Drive'.

With all the scrap drives, rubber drives and nylon drives underway around Lowell County, the Smallville ladies just wanted to do their bit for the war effort.

Clark had told Lois that he'd wanted to do the story on their gardens but Mr. White had ruled him out, saying that he needed someone who was unbiased; and a proud husband and son didn't fit the bill. So he sent Chloe Sullivan instead, with Jimmy Olsen in tow to document the story.

Even though that spring afternoon wasn't particularly warm, Lois could feel a trail of perspiration roll down her back as she dug the soil and planted her potatoes. She was a little late getting them in the ground, but her morning sickness had left her tired and while she still wasn't feeling quite up to par, she knew it had to be now or wait until next year.

But the fresh air felt good and as an added bonus, she was able to see Clark from her spot behind the house. He was helping his father with his own spring planting, in spite of Jonathan's objections. They were the same objections Lois had been hearing since she met the Kent's, but they were objections that her husband seemed intent on disregarding.

Lois leaned back and took her hat off to wipe at her damp brow with the back of her hand and watch as he sat on the tractor, alternately checking that he was driving a straight line and then looking behind to make sure he was plowing his rows in a straight line for his father to come behind him.

He was making up for lost time, of that she had no doubt. He wasn't going to let his dad talk him out of helping anymore and Clark had somehow felt the need to plead his case to her one night as they were lying in bed.

'_Dad didn't have much of a choice in being a farmer. And whether he realizes it or not, he never gave _me _much of a choice either. He just decided that I wasn't going to be a farmer and there was never any discussion about it.'_

'_Do you think you would have been happier if you had been?'_

'_I don't know because I never had the chance to find out. But now I'm in a position that I _can _find out and I'd like to.'_

So, Clark had started to rise with his father in the morning to help with the chores. And when Jonathan brought him home from the train station in the evening he'd change out of his suit and into his dungarees and tee shirt to help him with the evening chores.

The one drawback to his decision however, at least in Lois' mind, was that there hadn't been any early morning lovemaking since. Granted they hadn't had the chance to make a real habit of it, but she'd begun to wake in the morning with him next to her, knowing there could be the possibility.

Lois knew her father-in-law was grateful and bothered all at the same time for the second pair of hands because his son was being deliberately disobedient. But as Jonathan followed behind him with the planter that afternoon, Lois would wager that there was an awful lot of pride in a father for his stubborn son; and she couldn't help but wonder if _their _son would be as stubborn.

Of course their _daughter_ could be, too.

As she watched the Kent men plant the corn crop, in the adjacent field the wheat crop was nearly ready to be harvested. It would be a couple of months more before they could, but there was so much to do before then.

She plopped her hat back on her head and leaned over to plant another potato when Shelby started barking and when Lois turned to see what had him so riled up, his attention was trained on something high up on one of the branches; she'd bet he'd found a squirrel.

"Shelby." Lois got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. "He probably has a family to feed, so let him alone."

And as though the bushy tailed creature understood what she was saying not one, but two black walnuts dropped and bonked Shelby on the nose. He yelped in surprise and backed up before lifting his forepaw to brush at the spot where he'd been hit.

Lois couldn't help but laugh as she leaned over to run a gentle hand over his nose and he woofed softly at her. "Honestly, boy; when are you going to learn?"

He licked her hand and then trotted toward the front field while she stretched her back and decided to follow him; it wasn't often that she took the time, or _had_ the time for that matter. When she stopped at the fence line, the pungent smell of fresh turned earth hit her nose as the sounds of the tractors echoed in her ears.

She propped one arm up on the fence as she watched her husband and her free hand went to her abdomen to rub it gently before she smiled. "Your daddy is really something, you know that?"

And if she didn't know better, Lois would have sworn that she suddenly felt _some_thing; but what it was, she had no idea. And how she'd describe it to Clark, she hadn't a clue.

"You're really in there, aren't you?" She caressed the slight swell of her body and felt the tears in her eyes. When she looked up, she saw Clark's smile as he realized she was there and she waved at him.

_He really _was_ something._

From her vantage point, she could see that Jonathan was laughing and shaking his head. Lois would wager that he was remembering his young married days when Martha would come out and watch _him_. She waved at her father-in-law before she turned back for the house and her own planting.

When she rounded the house, she found a pitcher of lemonade and a glass sitting on a table on the service porch. A kitchen chair had been set up next to it and Lois knew it was Martha's subtle way of telling her to get out of the sun and rest. _'The potatoes will wait a few minutes.'_

Shelby had followed Lois back to the house and after she hung her hat up on the peg next to the door and poured herself a glass, she sat down in the chair and he lay down next to her.

As she sipped her cool drink and scratched the dog between his ears, it suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't sneezed once since she'd been expecting. From the moment she'd been introduced to the Kent's dog, Lois had always sneezed something terrible. But not long after she'd come back from Kansas City, where Clark had been recalled on their honeymoon, her eyes had stopped watering and her nose ceased to itch whenever the fur ball was around.

At the time, it never occurred to her _why_.

As she reached over to pour herself another glass, Clark's low voice was near her ear. "Allow me."

She'd been so deep in thought that she hadn't heard the service porch door or the thump of his boots as he stepped outside. When she looked up, he was smiling before he leaned down and kissed her. He put his own glass down on the table to fill it and hers before he held out his hand and when she took it, he pulled her up.

"Sorry, honey. But with only one chair out here, you're going to have to sit on my lap." His smile became a grin as he sat down and gently guided her back down.

"You couldn't have gotten your own?" She lifted an eyebrow in question, even though she was quite content where she was and she put an arm around his shoulders.

"I _could_ have." He shrugged nonchalantly. "But I figured you wouldn't object to my seating arrangement."

She didn't, and when she told him so he kissed her again before taking a sip of his lemonade. "So how is the planting going?"

"We just got the last of the corn planted and now Dad's irrigating the wheat crop. Then after we have lunch, I'll break the sod on the back field for the soybeans while he does the midday milking." He took another sip and when Lois kissed his cheek, it was obvious from the look on his face that she'd taken him by surprise. "What's that for?"

"Because you seem happy in a way I've never seen you." She told him. "All of these loose ends of your life keep weaving into place and as they do, you get more content."

"That's because of the both of you, you know." He put his hand low on her belly. "You've given me more than a man has a right to expect."

_Her G-man had a way with words. _

"Well then, before your mother calls us in for lunch you can repay me with a kiss." She brushed a thumb across his sun-warmed skin. "What do you say?"

"I'm guessing that's a rhetorical question?" He smiled again and kissed her before she could answer.

He had a habit of doing that; _not that she would ever complain._

Lois dropped a hand to his shoulder and kneeded it as he deepened their kiss. And the hand that had been resting on her knee found its way under the hem of the dress and full slip she was wearing and she started at the feel of his skin against hers as it traveled up her thigh.

"Are you crazy?" She pulled back and punched him in the shoulder; her face was heated with a blush. "Your mother is in the kitchen!"

"Actually, she's not." He wasn't detered as his hand rounded to her bottom and Lois surprised herself by actually squeeking in astonishment. Clark laughed and moved his hand back to the safer territory of her leg. "She told me to come get you for lunch while she went to get Dad."

"And you figured it would be enough time to do _what_, exactly?"

"Not what I'd really like to, unfortunately." He sighed and put his wandering hand around her waist. "What with helping Dad, there hasn't been much time for us lately and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." She pressed her lips to his. "But as long as you're sleeping in the same bed with me and not away on assignment somewhere, I can live with that."

He laughed softly and kissed her cheek. "But I'm not sure _I_ can."

"Well then, you have a couple of choices." She curled her arms around his neck. "You can go to bed earlier and I'll come with you or you can wake up earlier; it's up to you."

He shook his head in protest. "You don't need to be waking up early for me because you need your rest."

"Then calling it an early night, it is." Lois smiled at him. "See, wasn't that easy?"

"Only because you make it easy." He replied and a tap on the window of the service porch door got their attention before it was opened.

"Come on, you two." Martha stood in the doorway. "Lunch is ready."

"Right behind you." Clark promised his mother as Lois got up off his lap and he stood, taking her hand.

"I'm counting on it." She chuckled and walked back into the kitchen, leaving the door wide open behind her.

Clark had the grace to have flushed cheeks and a sheepish grin when Lois glanced at him. "We _will_ have an early night tonight."

"Only if you don't nod off the way you've been doing after dinner lately."

"That's because I didn't have a reason to stay awake." He replied and pulled her into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

"Well, now you do." She giggled and was rewarded with his face turning crimson.

The kitchen smelled of freshly baked bread as Martha directed them to the table, already set up with an uncut loaf, cold cuts, mayonnaise, mustard and relish; along with the lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onions. "Clark if you would slice that bread for me, we can eat as soon as your father comes down."

"What is he doing upstairs?"

"He's washing up." She told him as he picked up the bread knife. "Between following behind you with the planter and walking through the wheat to check the irrigation, he got a little dirty."

"I did offer to drive the planter." He made the first slice. "But he said that if I was serious about helping him, I was going to get reaquainted with plowing a straight line."

"And did you?" Lois asked him before she glanced at Clark's mother and Martha winked back.

His eyebrows went up as he looked at her and seemed to be trying his best not to smile. "As my wife, I think that means you're supposed to be on _my_ side."

"There are no sides, honey." His mother reminded him with a smile. "We're all Kent's."

"Some of us newer than others." Lois remarked as she kissed her husband's cheek.

"And happy that you are." He kissed her back.

"So do I finally get to tuck into some of that freshly baked bread?" She turned toward the stairs to see her father-in-law come down with a smile on his face, holding up his hands. "I washed my hands."

"And you changed your shirt, too." She took his hands in hers and it looked as though she was inspecting his nails. "You pass."

He pulled at an earlobe and his smile became a grin. "Do you want to check behind my ears, too?"

"That will be quite enough out of you." Martha pointed toward the table. "Now sit and make yourself a sandwich."

"Aren't you eating?" Jonathan asked as he sat down.

"I will as soon as I get the iced tea. Lois, would you get the glasses for me?" She asked as she headed toward the icebox and Lois moved toward the glass cabinet. When she reached to retrieve them, Clark was there to do it for her.

She gave him an exasperated look and sighed. "You aren't really going to do that for the next five months, are you?"

"If I'm around, sure." He replied with a nod and didn't seem to understand why she was annoyed.

"If I need your help, I'll ask for it." She scolded him quietly, fully aware that they weren't alone. "And for right now, I don't."

She gave him a gentle jab with her elbow to illustrate her point, got the glasses and walked back to the table. Clark's parent's were busily making their sandwiches, trying to behave as though they hadn't heard the short exchange as she set them down.

"Clark, I was telling your mother earlier that I'll be going over to Granville next Saturday for the Grange meeting, so I'll need you to look after things for me." He said it as he was slicing his sandwich and Clark looked surprised. It was obvious from his expression that he wasn't expecting that piece of news. "I decided to go because I know I'm leaving this place in good hands."

"And I'll be going with him." Martha added before she took a sip of her tea. "The Grange ladies have been asking Jonathan when I was going to come and I thought now would be a good time."

"We'll be gone overnight, so you'll be responsible for the evening and morning milking." Jonathan took a bite and after he'd washed it down with a swallow of his tea, he continued. "I'll also need you to change the hay in the stalls. If you could take care of those two things for me, the rest can wait until your mother and I get home."

"And if you would feed the chickens and check the coops in the evening and the morning and collect any eggs, I'd appreciate it." Martha made a request of Lois. "Just put them in the egg keeper in the icebox door so they won't spoil."

Lois was about to get a real taste of what it felt like to be a farm wife because she wouldn't have the reassuring presence of Clark's mother to help her. But she figured that if Clark wanted to try his hand at being a farmer, it was only fair she got the chance to try _her_ hand.

"I can do it." She assured her mother-in-law.

"I know you can, honey." Martha reached for her hand and grasped it. "You know more than you think you do and now you'll have the chance to prove it to yourself."

"How do you know I won't burn the house down when I'm making dinner?" Lois asked, only partly kidding.

"If _I_ didn't do it the first time Jonathan's parents left us here alone, I know you won't." Martha gave her a look that reinforced her words and then she laughed. "Now why don't you make yourself a sandwich so you and junior-ette can eat before you finish planting your potatoes."

"Just remember your hat." Clark reminded her and Lois found herself counting to five so she wouldn't roll her eyes.

He wasn't really going to start mollycoddling her, _was he_?

"Yes, Dad." She gave him a pointed look, hopefully sending the message for him to knock it off. And to his credit, his face flushed and then he chuckled.

"Not for another five months, anyway." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry, honey; you bring out the Neanderthal in me."

'_What is he doing here?'_

'_You heard him.' Lois couldn't understand why he sounded so annoyed. 'He's here because Dad asked him to find me.'_

'_And you believe that?'_

'_I don't have a reason _not_ to.' Where was this coming from? 'And just so you understand, I don't appreciate you behaving like such a Neanderthal.'_

Lois felt her face warm as she remembered their exchange on the service porch when Lieutentant Queen had come to the farm, delivering a message from her father. Clark must have remembered it too, because he shrugged. "I make no apologies for that."

"I wasn't expecting you to." She replied as she wiped a blob of mustard from the corner of his mouth. "Besides, you don't do it that often and I know it's only because you love me."

"I do." He nodded and put the pad of her thumb that was smeared with the mustard and brought it to his lips. "But I trust you, too and I shouldn't have behaved as though I didn't."

His blue eyes appealed for understanding, but all she could do was stare at his mouth and what he'd just done. It reminded her of the afternoon when he, she and his parent's were talking in the very kitchen they were now, when he'd returned from Kansas City.

He was telling them of the true circumstances of why he'd been sent back to Kansas, all the while massaging her fingers. And easily as he'd just done, he'd kissed her fingers in front of a stunned Lois and surprised parent's.

His only answer to her that early afternoon was to smile and shrug again.

_He knew._

oooooo

He loved surprising her by doing the unexpected and seeing her face flush.

She didn't have any idea of how his heart would flutter furiously when she'd react to his touch in such a feminine way. Everything about her was genuine and honest and it was why he'd fallen in love with her. And even though they were married, she was still fiercely independent and he admired her for that.

If he were honest with himself, he'd have to admit that _he_ was the one who'd changed since coming home; though it would probably be more accurate to say that he hadn't changed as much as reverted back more to who he was before he'd left Kansas.

He supposed that it probably would have come about anyway once he'd come back for good, but Lois had managed to find a way to accelerate the process by virtue of her bold personality.

It was like finding a loose piece of yarn and pulling on it, unraveling whatever it had created. In _his _case, it had been his hard-ass, tough as nails Federal agent and his loose piece of yarn had been his admission about the hayloft. Because once Lois knew about that and seeing his reaction to it, she'd started to tug on that yarn only to find the bashful farm boy he'd been just a few short years ago.

Clark thought that was in part why his mother loved her so much.

And it was why he loved Lois so much.

The look in her eyes as he let go of her hand were a myriad of emotions. She was a little embarrassed, stunned, pleased and keenly aware of what he'd just deliberately done. It was the way one of her eyebrows tilted up, just a little, that let him know that if they weren't in the middle of having lunch with planting and plowing still to do, they'd be up the stairs in a trice.

_There'd be time for that. _

His parent's observed the exchange with amused expressions, though neither said a word. They probably felt that if they pointed it out, it would embarrass Lois more than she already was. Instead, they began to talk about the Grange meeting again.

When lunch was finished, Martha told the men to shoo while she and Lois cleared up the table. He figured there was going to be some mother and daughter conversation once they were out of earshot.

He and Dad walked out the front door and Clark picked up his work gloves from the porch swing. He'd wager that his father wanted to say something to him, he just didn't know how as they stepped off the porch and headed toward the barn.

"You have a knack for surprising that girl." Dad finally commented with a smile and shake of his head.

"I can't seem to help it." Clark grinned as his father pulled down the milking stool and set it down next to Bessie in the milking pen. "Things like that just seem to happen."

"Love makes a man bold, son." He nodded his understanding and then sat down. "Because we think with our hearts and not our heads."

"But I _have_ to think with my head, the situation being what it is."

"You do, Clark." Dad reassured him as he reached under the cow and started to milk. "It doesn't mean that you can't show your wife how much she means to you."

"With the exception of you and Mom, Lois and the baby are my whole life." He leaned against the wall of the barn. "And-"

"Remember what your mother said." His father shook his head. "We're a family, the four of us, and we'll help you any way that we can. And if you don't mind me sticking my two cents in, coddling her isn't going to make it easier."

"I know." Clark acknowledged with a sigh as his thoughts came back full circle. "But I can't seem to help it."

"It's a natural instinct for a man to want to protect his family. But you need to remember that Lois was taking care of herself for a long time before you met her and it's going to take time for her to allow you to do that."

"I know that, too."

"Then take a step back and give her some room." His advice was simple and Clark nodded. "In the meantime that back field for the soybeans won't plow itself, so you need to get moving."

Clark nodded again and left his father in the barn while he walked to the waiting tractor.

Ten minutes later he was breaking the sod, turning it over to get it ready for the next summer crop they would plant and he could see Lois back in her garden planting the last of the potatoes. She would never admit it, but she'd taken to living on the farm so easily. In between her responsibilities to the Falcon and helping his mother with the day to day business of running the house, she seemed to become more content with each new day.

He hesitated to think that it was a blessing that she'd been relegated to the farm once again, but it a strange way, it really was. She and Mom had become a real team, helping each other with the chores so that neither had to carry a heavier burden. But with the baby coming, that would need to change and knowing his wife as he did, she would find a way to keep contributing in any way she could.

By the time he'd finished tilling the soil; Lois had finished with her planting and was currently hanging the last of the wash out on the line as he drove the tractor back toward the barn. Shelby was nearby, lying in the shade of the walnut tree.

Ever since Clark found out she was expecting, he had observed his dog staying closer to Lois than usual; almost as a sentinel. Even without understanding what was happening, he had become more protective of her and Clark knew how his furry friend felt_. _

Shelby had taken to her from the first time she'd come out to the farm, though she didn't feel the same way, at first. But in spite of that, the golden retriever wouldn't let her alone and had eventually won Lois' grudging respect for being so tenacious.

The dog's head bobbed up at the sound of the tractor and when Shelby seemed to realize it was only Clark, he lowered his head back onto his front paws. As she pinned the last bed sheet to the clothes line, Lois said something to him and then laughed.

His chest warmed, as it usually did when he heard the sound of it and felt a smile pull at his lips; especially when he caught her eye and she laughed even more. And then as she turned toward him he heard her call to him to stop.

He pressed down on the clutch and put the tractor into neutral, setting the brake as she walked toward him with her hand on her abdomen. "How about giving us ride back to the house?"

"I can, but there's only one place to sit." He let her know, not that _he'd_ mind.

"That's all right." She smiled at him. "We don't mind."

"Then hop aboard." He held out a hand to her and kept hers in a firm grip as she grabbed for the steering wheel with her other hand and carefully stepped up onto the floor, settled herself in his lap and putting her arms around his neck. "Comfy?"

"Very." Lois nodded and kissed his cheek. "So get this thing moving."

"Yes, ma'am." He grinned as he released the brake and eased his foot off the clutch. The tractor rolled forward and as they lumbered back toward the barn, Shelby got up with a bark and trotted behind them. Clark put his lips close to Lois' ear so she would be sure to hear him. "I don't think my own dog trusts me to look after you."

"Well he should because _I_ do." She assured him. "And he's known you longer."

"Since he was a pup." He got an arm around her waist and held her against his chest as they rode the rest of the short distance in silence. He stopped at the white picket fence that ran along the side of the house and helped her off. Lois stepped back as he released the brake again and lightened up on the clutch to drive the rest of the way to the shed and shut it down.

With the tractor keys in hand he walked back to the house and when he opened the front door, he heard Lois on the telephone as he closed it behind him. He headed toward the kitchen and heard her say 'thank you', wondering who she was talking to.

"That was Lionel." He heard her tell his parents as he got a clean coffee mug from the dish rack. "He said that Lex has agreed to see him."

Lois had told him about her recent conversation with Lionel and that he would try to talk to his son, to find out if he would be willing to help them with Lana. Clark had been skeptical at the very least, asking her why he'd want to help them and she replied that Lex hated her.

He could see why because Lana had set out to embarrass and humiliate the man she married every chance she got and if it meant bedding unsuspecting dupes, as _he'd_ been, then all the better.

Not that Lex hadn't had more than a few indiscreet trysts himself, but he'd been forced into a marriage he didn't want and wasn't about to play the role of a sap.

He watched Lois as she talked to his parents with an ease that no other girl ever had and knew how lucky he was to have a woman in his life who loved him and them as much as she did and cherished and protected the life she was carrying.

Things could have turned out so much differently, _for the both of them._

"I wish you wouldn't look so worried." Lois' concerned voice caught his attention. "Lionel is pretty confident that Lex will help us."

"If it benefits _him_, sure he will." Clark sat down at the table across from his parents and she sat down next to him. "The only reason he helped with the sting operation to bring down Burke was to get out of some of the trouble _he_ was in. And if he thinks helping us with Lana will get his sentence reduced, that'll be the only reason."

"Honey, you don't know that." His mother remarked and reached out to put her hand on his. "Maybe some time in prison has shown him the error of his ways."

"Mom, if it was anyone but Lex Luthor I might agree with you." Clark shook his head.

"Son, your mother could be right and that cooling his heels in a prison cell has been a good thing for him."

He understood what his parent's were trying to do, but it didn't make him feel any better. Why should a fellow like that be rewarded for doing the right thing, when he should be doing it because it _was_ the right thing to do?

Lois tucked her hand through his arm and glanced into his eyes. "Sweetheart, if you feel that strongly about it, then I'll call Lionel back and ask him not to go."

In his worry, he failed to notice how his parents glanced at each other and smiled at her endearment.

But Clark only sighed, because he was in a no win situation. Of course he wanted all the help he could get to protect his family; but he sure as hell didn't want Lex getting the idea that all he had to do was cooperate when asked and that would absolve him of any of his wrongdoing.

She put her cheek on his shoulder and Clark pressed a kiss to her hair as he pressed her hand against his side. "As much as it rubs me the wrong way, we need any help he can give us. And if it means he gets a solitary cell or some time shaved off his sentence, I'll live with it."

"And once this is over, Lionel is the only Luthor we'll ever have to see." Lois commented.

"He's the only Luthor _worth_ seeing." Dad agreed. "He's been very good to you, Lois and that makes him all right in my book."

"He'd appreciate that." Lois smiled at him. "He may not look like it, but Lionel really _is_ aces."

"Well now that we appear to have that settled-" Mom put her hands on the table and stood up. "How about some coffee and pie before you boys get back to your chores and Lois goes upstairs to take a nap."

"Nap?" Lois' voice was a little incredulous and when he tried not to laugh; she elbowed him in the ribs for his trouble.

"You did say that Dr. Francis wanted you resting in the afternoon until your morning sickness passes; so at the risk of sounding like a mother, I'd like it if you would go upstairs and rest."

"But it's better now." Lois protested, but Mom shook her head. "I don't need to sleep."

"Then don't, just lie quietly for a half-hour." She was insistent. "And don't tell me that you need to finish planting the potatoes, because you just did."

'_Damn._'As sure as he knew himself, he knew that's what Lois was thinking but would never say it in front of Mom or Dad, but then she smiled and looked at her mother-in-law. "I've got to stop telling you about my doctor's appointments."

"You could." Mom smiled back. "But if you did, you wouldn't have another woman to share this with."

"What am _I_, chopped liver?" Clark feigned injury and shook his head.

"Don't be smart, you know what I mean." She gave her son a pointed look. "It's because I've been through it with you and can understand what she's going through."

'_But if it weren_'_t for me-_'He took Lois' hand, that was still snug against his body and lifted it to kiss her fingers.

"That's his answer to everything." Lois leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"And that's always her response." He returned the favor and got up, her hand still in his. "So how about I get you upstairs and settled in before I go back out to plow up that last field?"

"How about you turn over those keys and let _me_ do it?" Dad held out his hand and Clark picked up the keys from the table, putting them in his hand. "If you'd chop up more firewood for me, that'd be a bigger help. It's going to be too hot to do it in another month or so and I'd like to be able to start the coming fall with a good supply."

"Sure thing, Dad."

"I appreciate that, son." He nodded and then looked up at Mom. "If that offer of coffee and pie is still good, I'll take you up on it."

"Of course." She put a hand on his shoulder for a moment and then turned for the stove. "Don't be too long, Clark; Lois needs her rest."

And with that, Lois got up and Clark walked with her to the kitchen stairs.

When they got to their room, she sat down heavily on the bed and sighed. "I'm starting to think this was a really good idea."

He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "Lois?"

"We're fine." She put a hand to his cheek and brushed a thumb across his skin; _he really liked it when she did that._ He leaned into her touch and brought his hand up to hold it there before he got down on one knee and pulled her shoes off. "I don't suppose you'd consider staying with me?"

"If I thought you'd rest, I would." He looked up into her tired face and stood. "But you'll want to talk."

"Maybe." She smiled sweetly at him and her face flushed. "Or maybe talk you _into_ something."

"And that's why I can't stay." He mirrored her action and put his hand on her cheek. "Because I wouldn't be able to say no."

Lois nodded as she scoot back and pulled her feet up onto the bed. After she'd stretched out, Clark got the folded blanket that they kept at the foot and covered her with it before sitting down next to her. "If you need anything, you know where I'll be."

"I need a kiss before you go."

_That could be dangerous. _

"Lois."

"I swear, just a kiss." She promised him and giggled, running a gentle hand down his cheek. "I won't use my feminine wiles to persuade you to do anything you don't want to do."

He smiled back at her, his own face warming because they both knew it wouldn't take much more for them to make good use of their bed. "And I appreciate that."

"Good." Her other hand came up to cup his face in her hands. "So kiss me and hot foot it back downstairs before your mother comes looking for you and pulls you out of here by the scruff of your neck."

_He wouldn_'_t put it past her. _

Clark brushed her hair away from her face, the softness of it felt like silk against his fingers and he kissed her. He kept it soft and undemanding, but when he tried to pull back Lois followed, not quite ready to let him go.

She deepened their kiss and even though he knew he needed to leave her be, his arms had a mind of their own and burrowed between her body and the mattress to pull her close against him. Her arms wound around his neck and her fingers found their way into his hair, while his hands skimmed her back.

It was Heaven on Earth feeling her body pressed against his, her lips caressing his with a tantalizing invitation he was finding hard to resist.

And then almost at the same time, their lips and hands became less greedy, less wanting as she relaxed in his arms. He was surprised to find that he was lying on the bed stretched out on his back, with Lois on top of him; her head tucked under his chin.

How in the heck had _that_ happened?

"No feminine wiles, Lois?" He kissed her hair, not minding at all as he tried to slow his rapid breathing.

"I wasn't even trying." He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his as she tried to catch her own breath. "If I _was_, we'd both be naked by now."

"Don't be so sure about that." _He couldn_'_t help it. _

"Oh, please." She lifted her head and caught his eye. "You forget who you're married to, buster because without my even trying, we were nearly there."

"Nearly being the operative word." He laughed as she punched his shoulder. "As nice as this is, you need to get off of me now. If Mom catches us like this, I'll be the one who gets in trouble."

"Only if you insist." Her eyebrow went up and he knew she was up to something. She took her time sliding her body off of his, making sure she brushed against his manhood so she would leave him more than a little frustrated.

He closed his eyes for a moment to gather his wits about him; sometimes, she just didn't play fair. But he was consoled by the fact that she'd probably left herself just as frustrated.

When he was again sitting at the edge of the bed, he took in the sight of his beautiful wife with her mussed hair, flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. They always seemed to do that when he pleased her. And for the first time, he could really see the swell of life in her body.

He'd gotten used to how it felt but he'd never been able to truly see. But with Lois lying on her back, the unmistakable evidence of what they'd created was there for him to see and he reached out to touch her. "Honey, I can see the baby."

He felt her hand on his arm and their eyes connected. There were tears in her eyes and a bright smile on her face. "I was hoping you'd be able to by now because we've been waiting."

A soft knock at the door got Clark to turn and his mother was there. She didn't say anything, but he got the feeling she'd caught the end of their conversation because she looked as though she were going to cry.

He gave Lois one last, soft kiss and pressed another to her tummy before he got up and walked to the bedroom door. Mom closed it softly behind him and led him to the staircase going down to the kitchen.

Before going down though, a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. "I was just remembering the first time your dad knew you were here." She put a hand to her abdomen. "And I knew right then what a good father he was going to be. Now I see you with Lois and I know you're going to be just as good a father with _your_ children."

With a gentle pat on his cheek, she left him at the top of the stairs to mull over her words and they warmed his heart as much as his wife's kisses did.

_He was a lucky man._


	12. Home Alone

Lionel's brief telephone call to Clark that morning got right to the point; to tell him and Lois he'd been to see Lex. He'd explained to his son about their predicament and Lex assured him it would be made clear to Lana to leave the Kent's be. Lionel also mentioned Lex wanted to see _him_. He wanted to set the record straight on the matter of Lois being shot at all those months ago.

"Give me one good reason why I should drive all the way up to the state penitentiary just to hear him tell me he was responsible for someone shooting at my wife." Clark demanded, even though he and Lois hadn't yet been married.

"_Just hear him out, son." _Lionel requested patiently. _"I have the feeling his information might surprise you."_

"Can't _you_ tell me?"

"_I'd like to; but he refused to go into any of the particulars with me. All he would say is; you probably wouldn't believe it unless you heard it directly from him."_

Clark reluctantly agreed to meet with Lex the coming Monday and after hanging up with Lionel he called the _Planet_, in hopes Perry White would be there, even for a short time. When the line picked up Clark explained the situation to the editor and in turn, told to do what he needed to do.

"_But if you can find an angle and get a story out of it, I think our readers would be very interested in reading about one Mr. Alexander Luthor in the big house." _Mr. White suggested. _"Any reporter worth his salt can always find a story if he looks hard enough."_

"I'll see what I can do."

"_I know you will." _He replied. _"However, the safety of your family is more important than any story."_

They were more important than _anything_.

"_Kent, have you given any serious thought to changing careers?" _It wasn't the first time Mr. White had asked and it probably wouldn't be the last._ "You've turned out to be a damn fine reporter and I sure could use you around my newsroom." _

But for the first time, it actually held some appeal.

"I wouldn't rule it out." He finally replied after thinking about it for a few long moments.

"_You're not joshin' with me, are you?" _The surprise in his voice made Clark smile.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Mr. White; honest," And he meant it. "My life has changed in ways I wouldn't have dreamed of a couple of years ago and my job may need to change because of it."

"_You'd consider leaving the FBI?"_

"Not right now; we have a war to win first," He sighed. "But after that-"

"_This damn war seems to be puttin' everything on hold." _He growled for a moment before it softened into a chuckle. _"But it didn't seem to stop _you_." _

"It didn't stop my _wife_." He felt his face flush. Lois would probably accuse him of being a Neanderthal, but he loved being able to say it because it made her, _his_. "When she puts her mind to something, nothing can stop it."

"_Like that little one she's carrying?" _Mr. White laughed again and Clark felt his ears burn with a self-conscious blush.

"She didn't- _we_ didn't plan on having a baby so soon." _He just couldn't keep his hands off of her. _"It just happened."

_And they'd had a grand time of it, too._

"Don't noise this around, Kent." Mr. White lowered his voice, as though imparting a long-kept secret. "But after we took our vows, Alice and I partook in the joys of marriage in a way we were told we weren't supposed to."

"Sir?" Clark wasn't sure he understood, or that he particularly wanted to know.

"_Duty, son," _He suddenly sounded embarrassed for having revealed something so personal. _"Our folks told us what their folks told them; the marriage bed was only meant for duty, for havin' kids. In those days, it still wasn't proper for husbands and wives to anticipate the weddin' night; it was somethin' to endure."_

"Times were different." He offered cautiously.

"_That they were." _The older man agreed. _"And that was why we couldn't tell them that we were lookin' forward to _our_ weddin' night."_

He cleared his throat, twice; _clearly_ embarrassed and fell silent.

Clark tried to rescue him from the awkward moment. "I'll let you go, Mr. White; I don't imagine you want to spend too much more of your day at the office."

"_I wouldn't have been here today at all; but my wife is in Missouri visiting her sister for a few days. Her youngest just left for boot camp and asked Alice to come keep her company. She's feelin' the effects of an empty nest, I expect."_

"When is she coming back?"

"_Tomorrow, if the trains aren't crowded with soldiers. If they are, it might be another day or two," _He sighed. _"With our own boys away at college, the house is too damn quiet without her."_

"You miss her." It wasn't a question.

"_Damn right I do," _He replied. _"I don't like living like a bachelor."_

"I know the feeling."

"_Once you've got the right woman in your life, there's no goin' back; at least not for me." _

"Or me," Clark made his own admission. "Being here with her and my parents, instead of alone in a rooming house in Washington is how I like living."

"_You're still a country boy at heart, Kent," _Mr. White told him. _"If you weren't, you would have lived in Metropolis while you were here on your assignment instead of your parent's farm and once you were done, you would've high-tailed back to Washington, pronto."_

And maybe if he'd lived in Metropolis he wouldn't have gotten tangled up in an affair with Lana Luthor, either.

_Everything happens for a reason_; Mom used to tell him and when he'd begun to fall for Lois, he finally understood what she meant.

The two men said their goodbyes and Clark found his mind wandering back to the night Lois had joined him in Kansas City where he'd been recalled to the field office, cutting short their honeymoon. After she'd arrived, he couldn't get her to the hotel room Mr. Kelly had reserved for them fast enough, so they could pick up where they'd had to leave off.

And he blushed at the memory of just _how_ they'd resumed their honeymoon.

"With a smile on your face like that, you'd better be thinking about _me_, buster." The low voice of his wife brushed his ear.

"Always," He replied as Lois' arms wound around his shoulders and Clark clasped her hands in his.

"I can't believe we're going to have the house to ourselves for thirty-six hours." She pressed her cheek to his. "What do you suppose we could do with all of that time?"

"I have at least _one_ idea I think you'll like," His face flushed in spite of himself.

"Just one?" She teased him and his face grew warmer. "With no parents and all these rooms for almost a day and a half, I have _several_."

If Clark didn't know better, he'd swear Lois had begun to purr.

"Look at this, Martha. We're not even out of the house yet and they're already spooning." Dad chuckled as he came down the kitchen stairs with his and Mom's suitcases and set them down at the bottom of the staircase.

"Jonathan." Mom gently chided him as she followed behind, trying not to smile. "Remember, _we_ were newlyweds once."

"And my father didn't hesitate in teasing us either, when we had an opportunity to be alone," He shrugged unapologetically. "And when Clark and Lois find themselves in a similar situation with their newlywed son or daughter, I imagine he'll do the same thing."

"Starting a family tradition, are you?" Clark asked good-naturedly as he kissed Lois' fingers before getting up from the kitchen table. "Don't worry about things around here while you're gone, just have a nice time; we'll take good care of the place."

"We know you will, son."

"But don't forget to take time for yourselves, too," Mom reminded them. "The baby will be here soon enough and then you won't have it. It's always important to remember as much as you're going to be this child's parents; you _were_ husband and wife first."

"Just barely," Lois quipped and when she blushed, his mother laughed.

"Newlyweds and new parents in less than a year; you wouldn't be the first," She patted Lois' cheek before she looked at Clark. "I heard the telephone ring when we were upstairs."

"It was Lionel." He glanced at Lois and then his parents. "Lex wants to see me."

"What does the cueball want with you?" The worry in her voice was unmistakable.

"Lionel says he wants to set the record straight on your being shot at."

"Loose lips," Mom commented with a sigh.

"Do you suppose Mrs. Luthor admitted to it?" Dad speculated with a frown as he looked at Clark. "You did say that she didn't keep things from her husband."

"As if he ever cared about the way she carried on." Lois commented. "I never did understand what she thought she was gaining by being so indescreet."

"A divorce," Clark stated flatly. "It was why she made sure he knew about her and me."

"And he only refused to spite her?" His mother asked, a troubled look creasing her brow when he nodded in the affirmative.

"Not exactly a marriage made in heaven, is it?" His father shook his head in disbelief and then took the hand of his wife. "Unlike a certain red-haired beauty I married." His father chuckled, lightly kissing Mom's cheek before he picked up the suitcases and walked out of the kitchen. "I'll put these by the front door."

"I don't suppose I need to tell either one of you not to overdue?" His mother fussed. "It's different trying to do things on your own, instead of working with someone. And carrying a child, even this early, can make things a little more challenging."

"I promise I won't overdue," Lois put her arms around Clark's mother and hugged her. "Thank you for caring so much."

"I know I sound like a mother hen, but my only chick-"

"And his chickadee?" She joked and Clark tried not to laugh.

"Are having one of their own," Mom shook her head with amusement and it appeared she struggled to keep a straight face as she continued. "I just want _my_ chicks to be careful with _their_ chick."

"We will, Martha," Lois hugged her again. "You just have a nice time with your-"

"Don't say it." Dad had grin on his face as he walked back into the kitchen and put an arm around Mom's shoulders. "_Husband_ will do just fine."

Clark shook his head with amusement; he was certain Lois would have said 'Rooster' if his father hadn't stopped her.

"And you won't have two kids underfoot for a day and a half, so I suggest making the most of it," She smiled back at him.

"I wouldn't count on it, Lois," He laughed. "She'll be worried about the two of you the whole time."

"Not worried, Jonathan; just concerned." She patted his father's hand and then glanced at her wristwatch. "And I'm concerned about the time, too. We should have left fifteen minutes ago."

"We would have," Dad laughed. But with a warning look from his mother, even though he continued to smile; it dissolved into a badly disguised cough. "If you hadn't insisted we stay until we found out what the telephone call was all about."

"And now we know, so it's time to get going." He'd never seen his mother so flustered or his father so amused. She gave Clark and Lois a hug and headed for the door.

"I surely do love that woman," Clark's father grinned as he watched her retreating back. "She's my ray of sunshine on a stormy day."

"I have the feeling she feels the same way about you," Lois giggled and her hand moved to her abdomen; she was doing that a lot. "You're the only man I know who can ruffle her feathers."

"Practice, honey," He pressed a light kiss to her cheek and shook Clark's hand before he turned for the living room; the front door already open. "Lots and lots of practice; see you tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't hurry back," Lois laughed again and Dad chuckled in reply.

"Don't burn the house down," He tossed back as he picked up the suitcases and stepped outside. After setting the luggage down, he closed the door behind him.

"Oh, I plan to at _least_ twice before breakfast tomorrow," Lois leaned up and kissed his cheek. "What do you say?"

"I say, you bring the kindling and I'll provide the matches," Clark answered with a kiss to her lips. "But before we can even consider starting any fires, we've got chores to do."

"Right," She agreed with a nod. "You take care of the mid-day milking while I hang the wash and make us lunch."

"You mean carrying a basket of wet clothes?" Clark shot a look at her; his overprotective instincts suddenly aroused, even knowing how they annoyed his wife.

"Only sheets and pillowcases," She assured him with a hand on his arm. "It isn't very heavy, I promise."

"_No_." He wasn't about to let her do it and ignored her look of surprise at his inflexible tone. "When you're ready, _I'll_ carry it for you."

"You most certainly will _not_." Lois' hands rose quickly, coming to rest defiantly on her hips while the look of surprise quickly became vexation. "If your mother _and_ Dr. Francis think it's all right for me to carry a basket full of wet sheets, then I _can_."

They were hurtling toward an argument, with him pressing down on the accelerator as he pointed to the slight swell of her body. "Well, I'm your husband and the father of that child you're carrying and _I'm_ telling you that _I'll_ do it."

"Then do it, you big jerk!" She shoved at his chest and made a beeline for the service porch door.

"Where are you going?" If he'd stopped for a moment to take a breath and think, he would have realized his query _should_ have come out as a simple question; but it came out sounding as though he were demanding information. _Good one, Clark._

"I'm going where you aren't!" She barked at him before opening the door and then slamming it shut behind her.

_He deserved that; _he knew it even before the glass inset in the door rattled in protest.

As much as she loved him, she didn't like being coddled and Mom had always been there to diffuse things when he started in with his 'Me, Tarzan; you, Jane' behavior; but she wasn't there now.

It was the first time they'd been alone for more than a few hours since finding out about the baby and neither of them had the reassuring presence of his parents to turn to for guidance.

"Sometimes you're a real dope, Kent." Clark chided himself with a sigh and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He owed her an apology; a _big_ one.

He sighed again, squared his shoulders and headed toward the service porch door hoping Lois hadn't gotten too far away. As he shut it behind him and stepped off the porch,he found her sitting under the walnut tree on a bench swing he and Dad had made and rigged up a couple of weeks earlier.

They'd found the thickest and sturdiest limbs to support the bench wide enough to accommodate two people. Mom had requested it for Lois because the farther along she got, the months would be moving into the hot summer.

She wanted a shady place for her daughter-in-law to go when the heat got to be too much. Lois had cried when he and his parents surprised her with it and even though she blamed her emotional outburst on hormones; he could see how much their thoughtful gesture meant to her.

There was a soft breeze blowing that late morning as he headed toward her and he could see lazy dust devils touch down along the dusty road running through their property.

"Clark, when are you going to get it through your thick skull I don't need to be coddled?" Lois asked; a weary tone in her voice, calmly rocking and rubbing the gentle swell of her abdomen. "When you do, it makes me feel like you don't trust me to take care of this little guy here."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He came to a stop next to the bench as the gentle breeze caught her hair and she pushed it away impatiently from her face with her free hand. "I honestly don't mean to make you feel that way; I just can't seem to help it. I _am_ overprotective because the both of you mean more to me than anything."

"I know we do." Lois patted the space next to her. "Sit."

Clark sat down with as much distance between them as he could manage, but she scoot next to him to close that distance and took his hand. With her other hand, she cupped his cheek to keep his attention.

"I do love you for wanting to take care of us, but you _have_ to trust I'm not overdoing it. Dr. Francis and your mom are already making sure I don't, so what I need from _you_ is to love and support me as you always have. And if by chance I want a little bit of coddling, I'll _ask _for it."

_That was fair._

"Okay?" She brushed her thumb across his cheek and he couldn't help but curl his hand around hers and turn his face into her touch.

"Okay." He nodded and then kissed her palm.

"Okay." She repeated and he couldn't help but smile at the breathless sound in her voice. "How is it that I can never stay mad at you?"

"Because you know I'm not _try_ing to drive you crazy," He laughed softly and took her hand into his. "It just works out that way."

"I know." And her faced burned bright. "There _is_ another way you drive me crazy though, but I don't mind."

"If you'll allow me to bring the wash basket out here to you," He put up a gentle hand to ward off any objections he was sure were about to come. "_Only_ to save time; I'll get the midday milking done and meet you in the kitchen for lunch before we go upstairs." He held out his hand. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Lois slipped her hand into his and they shook. "And since you're being so sweet, I'll be sure to give you an extra special thank you."

"Which means it's only fair that I return it twofold." He kissed the back of her fingers. "Don't you think?"

"Until we got married, I never would have dreamed you could be so good at seducing a woman." She had to clear her throat before she could get the words out and Clark felt his face flush as he leaned close.

"That's because," He brushed his lips lightly over the shell of her ear. "No other woman before you was worth the effort."

To be truthful; it had never occurred to him to really try. But the way his beautiful, fiercely independent and expectant bride reacted when he did something she thought so out of character for him, it made him much bolder than he would otherwise be.

"I suppose I should be flattered," Her breathy voice dropped to a whisper. "Your wanting to make love to me in the middle of the day?"

"I was hoping," His lips brushed lightly over her temple and traveled down to her cheek. "You'd feel that way."

She answered with a nod, apparently having lost her power of speech. She was putty in his hands; _for the moment_. However, it could all swing in her favor before he even realized it. "Laundry."

He shook his head slightly, "Kiss."

And without a word of protest she agreed again; passionately.

He wasn't exactly sure how Lois ended up in his lap, but Clark wasn't about to complain. The feel of her arms around his neck; her soft, warm skin scented with his mother's handmade soap as damp lips caressed his were intoxicating, while he skimmed his hands the length and breadth of her back.

When one of his roaming hands rounded her bottom and skimmed down a leg unencumbered with a stocking and garter, Lois shook _her_ head. "Laundry and milking first, Handsome; we agreed."

"I changed my mind." He smoothly worked his hand under her dress and her slip, moving fingers up toward her hip, until a firm touch stopped him.

"I haven't." She pressed her cheek to his and when he tried to advance a little more, Lois shook her head and caught his eye; grasping his questing fingers. "Work _always_ comes before play; you know that better than I do. And seeing as how we're going to be upstairs for awhile, the three of us need to eat."

She was right, of course and he laughed. "I guess one of us needs to be the voice of reason."

"And it's usually _you_." She brushed a kiss over his lips and a hand over his cheek. "But seeing as how I _am_ carrying our little bundle of joy here; this time it has to be me."

Clark pulled his hand out from under her dress so he could rest it on the evidence of that precious bundle. "I'm so glad it's you."

With that said he set Lois on her feet, stood up and she smiled at him.

"You mentioned something about a basket?"

"Whatever my lady wife wishes," He took her hand in his and kissed her fingers; the roses blooming across her bemused features as her eyes sparkled at him.

"Lady Wife, I like that," She admitted with a soft smile. "I like the whole notion of chivalry and courting and winning a lady's favor."

"Are you telling me that I missed one of those?" He smiled back with a teasing grin. "I'll admit our courtship wasn't exactly traditional, but I _did_ think I'd won your favor."

"Oh, you most certainly did." Lois put her free hand on his chest; over his heart. "And I won this."

"It didn't put up much of a struggle." Clark made an admission of his own and covered her hand with his. "It was yours the night we met; it just took my head a while to stop arguing about it."

"Because you had to tie up loose ends first," She reminded him gently, brushing a light hand against the soft fabric of his tee shirt. "That was where the chivalry came in." And she giggled. "So no, G-man; you didn't miss any of them."

"I wouldn't be your knight in shining armor if I had." He laughed softly at the slightly silly path their conversation had taken before Lois leaned up and kissed him.

"But I'm no damsel in distress; remember that." She laughed again. "I'm just a lady-in-waiting."

"I'll remember." He promised her. "And as difficult as it'll be, I promise no more coddling; unless you ask."

"I'll get you trained yet." Lois brought her hand up to grasp his chin. "Whether you realize it or not, you're putty in my hands."

_Favor shifts to Lois Kent. _

An unexpectedly strong gust of wind got Clark to look up and he frowned at the sight of gray clouds developing on the far horizon. It looked as though they might be in for a storm later on in the day and he hoped it wouldn't spoil his parent's time in Granville.

"What do you see?" Lois had turned to see what had gotten his attention.

"Those clouds coming in," He pointed out the dark formations to her. "We could be getting some rain later."

"And it could help the crops or hurt them," She touched his arm. "Is that it?"

"Or wreck Mom and Dad's trip." He looked at her and sighed.

"That, too," She looked back at the clouds and frowned. "Would you mind helping me hang the sheets then? It's a warm day, so it shouldn't take them long to dry. That way, I should be able to get them in before it starts to rain."

"I'll be happy to." Clark leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Between the two of them, the freshly laundered sheets and pillowcases were hung in no time. After she'd cast a critical eye on the job they'd done and declared herself satisfied, Lois carried the empty basket inside.

Clark jogged around the side of the house and headed for the barn to milk Bessie, who had already begun to protest his late arrival. "Sorry, girl; my wife is a little distracting." He apologized with a smile and gently patted her flank before he grabbed the milking stool and set the pail underneath her teats. "And she always wants to prove it."

By the time he'd finished and was carrying the full bucket to the service porch, Lois stepped out the front door and called to him that lunch was ready. Then she added with a laugh, "Hurry it up, buster; we've got things to do."

_They had all the time in the world._


	13. Change of Plans

**Chapter 12: Change of Plans**

It felt so much like her first Christmas Eve with him.

They were standing together doing something as mundane as dishes, but there was an air of intimacy in the daily ritual as they cleaned up after lunch; because his parents were not there.

_They stood shoulder to shoulder as they finished washing and drying the last of the dishes and Lois couldn't help but wonder if this was what it could be like if anything permanent came of what was happening between them. _

_Clark was such a reassuring presence next to her and without thinking about it, she put her head on his shoulder to be closer to him. She felt his head dip after a moment as his lips sought out hers and he gave her a gentle kiss._

"That was the only time I'd ever kissed a girl while I was doing dishes." Lois should have guessed he'd be thinking about that same night. He had the unnerving ability to sense what was on her mind. "And yet, it hasn't happened since."

_Subtlety was not one of her husband's strong suits._

"Well, with your parents gone until tomorrow, I suppose anything could happen."

It was however, one of _hers_.

When she glanced up at him his face was flushed with a barely concealed smile of anticipation. "I'm guessing you have something in mind?"

"Only the something _you_ have in mind." She replied with what she hoped was a vague shrug of her shoulders.

"What if I told you that something was dessert?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I think it's fair to say you're not talking about pie and coffee." She upped the ante and raised _both_ eyebrows.

"Never even crossed my mind," He shook his head before leaning over to kiss her soundly. "So, why don't you help me finish these and then we can do something else for awhile that doesn't involve milking cows or bringing in the laundry. How does that strike you?"

"It strikes me very nicely, thank you." She kissed him back and between the two of them, washed and rinsed the last of the dishes.

After they dried the last dish and Clark had put them away, Lois hung up the damp dish towel and then faced her smiling husband, who held out his arms to her.

"May I?"

"You may, oryou could chase me up the stairs." She offered an alternative even though she wouldn't have minded one bit being carried in his arms.

"Not in _your_ condition, I won't." He frowned and shook his head with a firm _'No'_. Lois had to tamp down the urge to tell him not to coddle her because she knew he wasn't, he was being perfectly sensible.

Her perfectly sensible, buttoned up G-man.

"That's fine because Junior-ette and I wanted to be carried anyway."

"Do you really intend on calling our possible future daughter, 'Junior-ette' the whole time you're carrying her?" He reached for her hand and slipped it around his neck.

"Yes." She replied as he got an arm around her back and then dipped to catch her under her knees with his other arm. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"I think I'll take you upstairs and try to change your mind." He admitted and then walked with her secure in his arms toward the kitchen stairs. "Because we both know how persuasive I can be."

"We'll see." Lois couldn't resist the urge to issue her handsome husband a challenge. "Because _you_ forget that I can be just as persuasive."

"True." He nodded in agreement. "But it doesn't really matter because in the end we both win."

"That we do, G-man, now _mush_." She reached down and swatted him on his backside. His eyes widened in pleased surprise and he smiled, slowly heading up the stairs.

"Patience _is_ a virtue, Lois."

"That may well be. But it's not one of mine, so move it." She smiled back sweetly and kissed his cheek. "Please?"

"Since you put it so nicely," He kissed her back. "It'll be my pleasure, Mrs. Kent."

She didn't think she'd ever get used to hearing her new name and she thanked him in her own way. "Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome, Mom." He bounced her gently in his arms, the look in his eyes telegraphing his appreciation. When he got up to their room and set her on her feet just over the threshold, he asked if she wanted the door opened or closed.

"Just in case?" She answered with a question, knowing he'd understand.

_He closed it. _

It didn't matter his parents were probably in Granville by now, but there was no guarantee they wouldn't need to turn around and come home for some reason. If Lois learned anything from the night Clark had come home from California it was safer to have the door closed, less embarrassment for them and for his parents.

They took their time as they made their way to the bed, kissing deeply and discarding slowly every bit of clothing as they went. When they got to the edge of the bed, Clark went down on one knee and brushed a hand over her bare skin, feeling the life they'd created together.

Lois felt a tear roll down her cheek and ran her trembling fingers through his rumpled hair, overwhelmed with the reverent way in which he touched her. When he looked up at her, his blue eyes reflecting his own deep feelings, another tear tracked down her other cheek.

"I still have a hard time believing it," His voice was a little rough, probably from trying to keep his own emotions in check. "I'm going to be a dad."

He kissed her where the baby rest before he stood up and cupped her face in his hands and gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs before he kissed _her_. She wound her arms around his neck and answered his heated kiss with one of her own, flattening her body against his.

Lois didn't know if she'd ever really be able to put into words how much he truly meant to her or how his love had changed her life, but she could certainly show him.

oooooo

Early afternoon eased into early evening and Lois knew without a doubt there _was_ such a thing as heaven on earth because she'd experienced it, with him.

They lay next to each other in sated silence and in between soft kisses and the gentle brushing back of damp hair, Clark started to laugh and Lois couldn't help but smile.

She loved the husky sound because it clearly reflected his happiness, while making the bedsprings squeak lightly underneath them. When she turned her head to look at him, his gaze was already on her. "Do you have any idea how much I adore you?"

"You're just saying that because I let you have your way with me." She reached for his hand and squeezed it, too tired to do anything else.

"That, too," He grinned at her, an unquestionably blissful grin. "But in all fairness, you had your way with _me, _too."

"And you should consider yourself a very lucky man." She rolled over enough to kiss his shoulder before settling on her back.

"Oh, believe me, I do." She recognized the tone, _he wanted her_.

However, she knew before there would be a command performance she really wanted, and _needed,_ to have a bath. With the bedroom door closed and the shades drawn, stifling warmth had settled on the room, even though the sun had gone behind the clouds a couple of hours earlier and it had started to rain. She was feeling decidedly damp and wilted, but in a very, _very_ nice way.

Clark rolled to his side to look at her and his face was flushed. "When you get that Cheshire grin on your face, I worry that you're up to something."

"You should never worry, G-man." Lois was deliberately mysterious. "You should just enjoy."

"Lois?"

"How would you feel about taking a bath?" She leaned over to kiss his chin and then his lips. "After our busy afternoon, we really should clean up."

"You'd rather take a bath?" Clark frowned and looked a little perplexed. "Instead of-"

"Clark, where is your sense of adventure?" She put a finger to his lips to quiet him and tried to be serious, but couldn't do it because she was so happy. "I didn't mean we should take them _separately_."

From the way his eyes suddenly lit up, it had to have dawned on him what she was getting at. "You mean-"

"Why not?" She kissed him. "You stay here and get your strength back while _we," _She put a light hand on her sheet covered abdomen. "Go run a bath. And when you're sufficiently rested you can go downstairs, put Glenn Miller on the phonograph and meet me in the bathroom."

"That _is_ a tempting offer." He slipped his hand around the nape of her neck and drew her to him, so his lips met hers. "I'll have to think about it."

"Well then, let me leave you with something to think about." Lois got up on an elbow and as she slipped out of their bed, skimmed her body over his making certain to contact as much of her skin against his as possible, touching his arms, legs, chest and shoulders along the way. When she finally stood up she deliberately kept her back to him, sashaying leisurely to their bedroom door giving him a clear view of her body.

She stopped and turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder to give him her best sultry smile. His answering look was absolutely smoldering when she issued a breathy admonition. "Don't get too comfortable, Handsome."

"No chance of that." Clark closed his eyes and groaned as he rolled back onto the pillow, his hands balled up into fists.

She shouldn't have laughed, leaving him in the condition she did, because she understood how he felt. But still, she giggled as she stepped lightly down the hall to the bathroom because she was in love, she was carrying her husband's child and he'd just made love to her for the third time that afternoon. And she giggled even more when she heard _him_ laugh, a deeply satisfied, if somewhat frustrated laugh.

Best of all, they were going to be alone in the house until the next afternoon. It was an opportunity they'd been given and Lois was thankful she had such a thoughtful mother-in-law.

Martha had taken her aside the afternoon after she'd announced she would be accompanying Jonathan to the Grange meeting and explained her plans for the following Saturday.

'_I don't usually go with him, but I thought I should this time. Once the baby comes, you and Clark won't have much time for yourselves. With us gone overnight, you'll have an empty house.'_

'_We will?'_

'_We'll leave late morning so we can get there in time for the potluck and then after the meeting is over, we'll stay for the dance and come home late the next morning.' _

'_There's a dance?'_

'_They aren't Benny Goodman by any means, but the Granville Grange Hall Dance Band is very good and well known around Lowell County. Maybe you'd like to come with us next time.'_

'_I'll talk to Clark.' _

Lois loved to dance and if she hadn't wanted to take advantage of the opportunity she and Clark now had, she would have seriously considered going. But as she put the drain plug in place and turned on the taps of the claw-footed bathtub she was glad they had stayed behind.

And with the rain falling, it just added to the romance of their precious time together.

She found the new bottle of bubble bath Martha had made earlier in the week and poured a small amount into the running water. She'd watched as her mother-in-law stood at the stove and melted down the bits and pieces of her handmade soap that she'd insisted be saved, with water and lanolin. The aromatic concoction that they both used was a wonderful addition to the bath.

Martha had told her it was a recipe of _her_ mother-in-law's she'd begun to use when she was carrying Clark. She swore it had eased the itching that came along as her body stretched to accommodate her growing baby because it kept her skin soft. Lois had already tried it and could swear to its positive effects. Even though she wasn't too far along yet, her skin was already itching as her body made room for the baby.

As the tub filled, she dipped her fingers in occasionally to check the temperature and as it got just to the half way point, she turned the taps again.

With the water off, she heard the strains of 'Moonlight Serenade' float up the stairs from the parlor phonograph and began to sway to the music. She was so focused on the romantic tune that she was unaware Clark had come to stand in the doorway and was watching her.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when there would be a beautiful woman dancing naked in my bathroom." He was pleased with the view, of that she had no doubt.

Lois turned around to see her husband, his large frame clad in a tee shirt and pajama bottoms, holding a nightdress in his hand and she noted his state of dress, "Really?"

He chuckled as he walked into the room and hung her nightdress up on the back of the door. "I wasn't about to take a chance of going downstairs with nothing on and have someone show up at the front door."

"We couldn't have that now, could we?" She took her bottom lip in between her teeth as she put her hands on her hips and he reached for her waist. Before he could claim her, though she grabbed the edge of his tee shirt and he lifted his arms so she could pull it over his head.

"I've never danced with a naked man before."

"I'm not naked." He grinned, knowing he stated the obvious.

"Not yet." She replied and glanced down at his pajama bottoms. "But you will be."

"You expect a lot from me without an offer of dinner and a picture first." He folded his arms across his bare chest, trying to look offended. "I'm no B-girl, Miss Lane."

"That's Mrs. Kent to you, Special Agent." She leaned up and kissed him. "Now strip or I'm going to do it for you."

"That could be fun." He was clearly enjoying himself, in spite of the flush coloring his cheeks. And then he laughed when Lois frowned at him. "Allow me."

He divested himself of his pajama bottoms and kicked them out of the way and she sighed. "You do know that I'm not picking up after you."

"Then dance with me instead," He suggested and when he held out his hand, she reached out and took it. Clark drew her smoothly toward him and put a hand on her lower back, resting just above her backside and pulled her close.

They moved together in the classic dance position, her right hand in his left, his right hand at her waist and her left on his right shoulder blade. And the fact that so much of their skin touched, made it an unforgettably romantic experience. The dance lessons he'd taken before their wedding day had certainly paid off and she was certain she'd never be able to listen to 'Moonlight Serenade' in quite the same way again.

When the song finally came to an end, Clark slipped his other arm around her waist and Lois wrapped her arms around his neck as their lips came together with an urgency that made her heart stumble. It scared her sometimes, just how completely she loved him. She pressed her breasts into his chest and his hands rounded her bottom in response.

"The water's going to get cold." She whispered in his ear and her insides melted.

"No it won't." His response rumbled in his chest and he lifted her up. Lois locked her legs around his waist and kissed him again, her body flush against his. "I thought we were going to take a bath."

"We will." She laid her hand over his heart. "But first-"

He didn't miss the meaning of what she wasn't saying.

"Lois." He shook his head and then gave her a peck on the cheek. "There are more comfortable places I can think of and a hard porcelain tub isn't one of them."

"What would you say to a hard tile floor, then?" She laughed and hugged him to her. "At least we wouldn't be at risk for drowning."

"Still uncomfortable, so what would _you_ say to a blanket in front of a fire?" He leaned back with a questioning look on his face. "I got a fire going while I was downstairs and if we don't take too long, it should be just right by the time we finish."

"Then let's not take too long." She squirmed out of his arms and when her feet touched the floor, she held out her hand to him. "Give a girl a hand?"

Clark stepped into the tub and held out both of his hands to her. "I'll give you two."

"We appreciate that." She held onto his strong grasp and put one foot into the water and his grip tightened when she put her other foot in. "Thank you."

"Anything for my girls," He glanced down at her abdomen and grinned.

"Clark."

"Can I help it if I want a daughter who'll wrap me around her finger the way her mother has?" He shrugged unapologetically and Lois's heart fluttered with unease.

"So you _will_ be disappointed if we have a boy." It wasn't a question.

"Of course not," He shook his head and took her by her arms to guide her down into the warm water. "Lois, I swear it doesn't matter. I'll be just as happy if we have a boy, as long as we don't give him my name."

"Why don't you want our son to have your name?" She put her hands on his chest, trying to understand his stubbornness on the matter while trying to ignore the fact that they were in the bath together having a discussion about their baby.

"Because every child should have their own name," He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Now I'll go so far, if you want, to give our son Jerome as his middle name. I know it wouldn't matter to Dad if we didn't, but tradition and continuity are important, it's a way to bind the generations together."

"You were a History major, weren't you?" Lois teased him and he flushed as he picked up the bar of homemade soap from the soap dish.

"Actually, I have a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, with a minor in Animal Husbandry and my senior thesis was on The Necessity of Regular Crop Rotation to Prevent Leaching of the Soil."

"Sounds like a real page turner." She leaned over and kissed him. "So my G-man really is a farm boy."

"I also have a teaching certificate from the Central Kansas Teacher's College." He kissed her back and lathered the soap in his hands. "Dad was adamant that I wasn't going to be a farmer. But I was just as adamant I would be involved somehow because the Kent family has been a part of farming in Kansas since the Homestead Act."

Clark handed off the soapy bar to Lois before he put his hands on her shoulders and started to run his fingers over her skin. He spread the soft soap across her shoulders and down her arms, rounded to her back and followed the line of her spinal column, coming dangerously close to her backside. He came back around to trace her clavicles and skim down to follow the swell of her breasts, all the while talking as though they were sitting across from his parents at the dinner table, talking about the events of the day over coffee and Lois's apple turnovers.

It took a well of resolve she didn't know she possessed not to lean into his touch, because she didn't want to distract him. He'd never been so forthcoming about his younger days before and she wanted to find out as much as she possibly could. Though, by the way his eyes were following his hands as he talked to her, he was perfectly aware of how his gentle touch was affecting her.

It was affecting him, too, because his hands were suddenly shaking.

"My plan was to come home and teach Agriculture at Smallville High. But during my senior year at Central Kansas, an FBI recruiter came into one of my classes and talked to us about what a critically important job it was to be a Federal agent."

"I remember you telling me-" She lathered the soap and set it back in the soap dish before proceeding to skim her hands across his broad shoulders and work her way down his chest, his pectorals twitching at her soft touch as she traced the ridges. "You wanted to do what you could to put fellows like Dillinger and Capone away. But you never told me that you were going to be a school teacher."

He covered her hands with his and pressed them against his chest as her fingers brushed across the hard planes. "Maybe when I retire from the FBI, I still can. My certificate is up for renewal this year, so I always have the option."

"Would you consider teaching at the Academy?"

"No." He shook his head adamantly. "We'd have to move back to Washington and I don't want our child growing up there. I'd like our daughter _or_ son to have the chance to grow up the way I did."

"Growing up in different places isn't so bad, Clark." She wiggled her fingers loose and started smoothing them down his body, encouraged by his reaction. When she had submerged her hands, however, his followed to take hold of them and she laughed when he shook his head again. He kissed her wayward digits and grinned.

"Before the water gets cold, why don't we get out and continue this conversation in front of a warm fire."

_There was only one conversation she really wanted to continue._

"Only if you carry us," She draped her arms over his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "Junior-ette likes it when her daddy carries her."

He laughed and shook his head as though to say, _'I can't win.' _"And how do you think _junior_ feels about it?"

"Well I suppose if he kicks me, we'll have our answer." She replied and Clark looked absolutely thunderstruck, reaching out a hand to touch her.

"Can you feel the baby moving already?" Lois had only been joking, but then realized it wasn't out of the question for it to happen.

"I've been feeling something lately, but it doesn't feel like a kick."

"What _does_ it feel like?" He caressed her abdomen, before laying his hand flat.

"It's kind of hard to explain." She put a hand over his. "Sometimes it feels like a butterfly flapping its wings and sometimes it almost feels like a goldfish swimming in a goldfish bowl."

"Does it hurt?" He looked all at once fascinated and more than a little squeamish.

"Not a bit," Lois reassured, not wanting him to worry. "It _is_ a little strange, though. But when it starts happening more often, Dr. Francis says I'll get used to it."

"Is it something I'd be able to feel yet?" His fingers splayed out, as though hoping he could at that moment.

"I don't think so, because _I_ can barely feel it sometimes." Lois wondered if Clark realized how disappointed he looked. "But when I start to really feel something, I promise that I'll grab your hand so you can feel it, too. Okay?"

"You promise." He wasn't asking. He was looking for an affirmation.

"Even if I have to take the train into Metropolis, go to _The Daily Planet _buildingand grab your hand in front of a roomful of nosy reporters." She giggled. "I'll make sure that you get to feel our baby move."

"Well, we've got _that_ taken care of-" He carefully got to his feet and then helped her up to hers. He hooked his toe around the chain to the plug and pulled and the tub started to empty. "We should rinse all this soap off before we get out."

"So, I got my bath and now you get your shower?" She asked him with a cocked eyebrow as she felt the water level around her legs drop. "Or are we just doing our part for the war effort?"

"Just stand over here." Clark gently grasped her shoulders and carefully moved her around to where he'd just been standing, presenting his back to her. And such a strong back it was, too. Well defined from years of helping his father and the physical training as an agent. Not to mention his backside-

"Not in the shower, either." He laughed because he had to have known what she'd been thinking. "But we can always go back to the bedroom if you can't wait to get downstairs."

Clark turned on the water for the shower and adjusted the taps so that the spray was gentle. She knew he intended nothing more than to rinse her off, but as his hands skimmed her shoulders and he leaned over to kiss her,one arm slipped around her waist and glided down her wet skin to cup her bottom.

The blood rushed in her ears as his mouth eagerly sought out hers while his hands skimmed over her skin and suddenly, without any explanation, he stopped. He turned and shut off the water and ran a hand through his wet hair before he drew the window curtain back and looked out.

"What is it?" Her heart then started to pound for a completely different reason because his expression told her, without his saying a word there was trouble, _serious_ _trouble_. The sound she thought was her blood rushing was actually the sound of a swirling wind picking up outside as the rain pelted the window.

"Honey, you need to dry off as quickly as you can and get dressed because there's a funnel cloud forming."

"How close is it?" She could see the unmistakable formation coming out of a particularly dark thundercloud.

"It looks like the Hubbard's place, maybe as far as the Carmichael's; but I'd wager it's not much farther than that."

He didn't need to say anything else before she grabbed for a towel, giving her hair a quick rub and wrapping it around her suddenly trembling body. Clark held out his hands to help her out of the tub and he gripped her fingers. "You always wondered what it would be like to experience this, so now's your chance."

"Great." She tossed a towel at him so he could dry himself off before she stepped out of the bathroom and rushed down the hall. When she got to their bedroom, she got the loose fitting dress she'd taken to wearing and tossed it on the bed.

By the time she got into her undergarments and dropped the dress over her head, she heard Clark come in. He helped her with her back collar buttons and gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before he walked to the dresser to pull out a clean tee shirt, socks and boxers.

She pulled on a pair of ankle socks and jammed her feet into her loafers as he pulled on his dungarees and yanked the tee shirt hurriedly over his head. He pulled on an old 'Central Kansas' sweatshirt, yanked on his socks and shoved his feet into his boots, quickly tying the laces while she ran a quick brush through her hair and snatched a ribbon off of the dresser to tie her damp hair back.

"Get a sweater, honey, the cellar will be cold." It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order and she followed it, without thinking.

He grabbed her hand and held it tight, his pale complexion and less than controlled motions telling her how scared he was, not for himself, but for her and their baby. "The storm cellar is under the house." He told her as he walked out of the bedroom, with her in tow. "We'll go down through the kitchen."

He didn't wait for an answer as the lights started to flicker and then _she_ started to get scared. "Clark?"

"You need to save the talking." He shook his head as went down to the kitchen and just as they got there, the lights went out. "Damn."

She trembled like a leaf and Clark's grip got tighter, running a thumb across her knuckles to try and soothe her. But it didn't because his hand shook badly.

_This was very bad. _

He opened the door under the kitchen stairs and ushered her in. But just as she stepped on the landing she heard frantic scratching at the service porch door, _Shelby_.

"Clark." She caught his eye and he must have heard it, too.

"There's a flashlight to your left on the shelf, use it because the stairway will be dark. Hold on to the hand rail on the way down and I'll get Shelby." She hesitated because she didn't want to go without him, but he shook his head. "Don't wait for me, go!"

Lois was half way down the stairs when she heard, "Come on, boy." Her knees were shaking terribly but she kept moving. When she got to the cellar floor, she pointed the beam of the flashlight at the stairs so Clark and Shelby could get down safely.

When they had, she clicked off the flashlight and noticed a wider set of stairs to her right, leading up to a wide set of doors; angled like a roof. Clark moved passed her quickly and bounded up the short set of stairs to pick up a two by four lying on the stairs and jammed it in between the door handles before he grabbed a second and did the same thing.

"Dad calls it his insurance policy." He explained as he joined her. "The force of the wind can pull those doors wide open, so the two by fours give us a better chance of it not happening."

From what Lois could tell as she looked around, the cellar ran half the length of the house, starting under the dining room and ending at the kitchen. Shelves of Martha's preserves lined the walls as well as other food stores and supplies. Now she understood why her mother-in-law bought as much as she did, when she could. She stored the extra so she wouldn't have to make extra trips into town.

A small camp bed was secured against the concrete wall and lanterns around a small living area were secured in wall brackets, as well. Another shelve was secured that contained books, some games, matches, oil for the lanterns and extra blankets. Clark pulled two of the blankets down to cover the thin mattress. "It's been a long time since I've been through one of these. Go ahead and get comfortable and I'll get a couple of the lanterns lit."

"Maybe you won't have to," Lois told him as the wind and rain seemed to die down.

"We stay put." He lit one lantern and then another, chasing away the gloom and shadows. "The hail hasn't come yet."

"Hail?"

"The way those thunderclouds looked, it's bound to." Clark told her. "And if the twister stays on course, we'll find out if we still have a house when it's all over."

And sure enough, the wind subsided and moments later, she heard the clatter of hail.

Clark cocked his ear upward as he listened and then sighed. "It's been awhile since I've had to make a guess, but if I had to, I'd say they're about the size of a golf ball."

_They both knew what that meant, _"Your dad's crops."

"They should be all right." He glanced up. "He just finished with the spring planting, so the dirt should protect the seed."

"And if it doesn't?"

"More than likely we start over and lose a hell of a lot of money in the process." He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before he looked at her. "_This_ is why he didn't want me to be a farmer."

"And it's why you'll never rule it out, isn't it?"

"Would you mind?" He asked her as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his dungarees.

"If you decide it's what you really want to do, I'll stand by you."

"I really do love this place." He looked up again as the sound of hail pounding the storm doors lessened and it was then that he took her by her hand and walked to the bed. He waited for her to sit down and he sat next to her as the wind started to pick up again. "Brace your back against the wall." He instructed and she did as she was told when he followed suit, grabbing her hand and holding it tight.

She felt him tense as the sound of what could only be described as a locomotive approaching and Lois' heart was beating a million miles a minute. It was just as Martha had once described and Lois felt like a frightened little girl as she tucked her face into Clark's shoulder and inexplicably, he chuckled. "This isn't exactly how I intended our day to end, but I think we're going to be all right." He looked up. "As close as that sounds, we would have known if there had been a direct hit."

"How?"

"I've been told that when a twister hits a house, it sounds almost like a bomb going off." He said. "And unless it changed direction on us, we shouldn't have much damage."

"What would you consider not much?"

"Some missing roof shingles, which I can take care of, or hail damage, which I can also take care of." _He sounded rather proud of that. _"Anything else and we would raise a new barn or rebuild the house."

"Have you ever helped build a house?" She asked him as she kept an ear trained on the weather outside. "Or raised a barn?"

"_I_ haven't, but Dad has a time or two." He held her close to him, rightly sensing how scared she still felt, though the wind finally seemed to have calmed_. _"He says a man finds out how well he was paying attention in school because he needs to know his numbers and how they work if he's going to build something that's going to last."

"Your dad is really something." Her head was still down on his shoulder, her taught nerves slowly beginning to relax as it seemed the danger had passed.

"So is yours, he gave me you." He got his arms around her and kissed her, his hand cupping her cheek. "I'll never be able to thank him enough for that."

"As long as he gets another grandchild, I think he'll consider you even." She giggled and he kissed her again.

"Lois?"

"Mm-hmm?" She answered as he held her close.

"Have you ever made love in a storm cellar?"

"We've got company." She reminded him of the dog who was currently curled up in a warm nest of blankets, his back to them.

Clark leaned over to see for himself and then sat back. "I don't think he'll mind."

"Clark?" She pulled off her sweater and dropped it on the thin mattress.

"Yes?" His eyebrows went up in question, even though she'd already given him her reply.

"Let's make love in a storm cellar."

"Only if you insist," He pulled off his sweatshirt and it slipped to the floor.

"I insist." She kicked off her loafers.

"Then who am I to disagree?" He untied the laces of his boots and pulled them off, tossing them toward her shoes.

"A wise man never disagrees with his wife." She grabbed the edge of his tee shirt and lifted it over his head.

"Then I _must _be because I have no such intention." He reached for her as soon as his arms were free, the tee shirt on top of the sweatshirt and he took her down to the bed with him.

"Then what _is_ your intention?" She asked innocently as he skimmed a hand up her thigh.

"Let me show you."

_And he did._


	14. Raising Barns and Spirits

They sat next to each other on the narrow bed and laughed as Lois slipped her loafers back on and Clark tied the laces of his boots. Could they possibly be laughing because while they'd been in the throes of passion, Shelby had started to howl?

_It could only happen to them. _

He leaned over and kissed her before getting to his feet and holding out his hand to help her up. Shelby followed and then started to bark and he kept barking as he made a mad dash up the stairs and scratched at the door.

Clark picked up his sweatshirt from the floor and followed at a trot to see what had excited his dog and opened the door. Lois heard the frantic voice of his mother, calling for them as she headed up the stairs to the kitchen. She heard Clark's voice reassure his worried mother. "Mom, we're okay."

When she stepped through the low doorway, she saw her husband in his mother's tight embrace. "We got home as soon as we could."

The ashen faces of Clark's parents telegraphed quite clearly how worried they'd been and no sooner had Martha let go of her only child, when the older woman's arms were around _her_. Lois hugged her back, assuring her that they were all fine.

When it was her father-in-law's turn, he caught her up in a fierce bear hug. For someone who was usually so reserved with his emotions; she could tell that he'd been just as anxious as his wife. "You kids gave us an awful scare."

"And it ruined your day." Martha's look of regret made Lois smile as she stole a look at Clark, whose face had turned red.

"It wasn't ruined, Martha, just cut a little short." She shook her head, her own cheeks starting to burn self-consciously. "We're just sorry you had to come back from Granville; that was supposed to be _your_ day."

"Lois, our day was finished when they hustled everyone down into the storm cellar." Jonathan shook his head and put an arm around her shoulders. "And once we realized it was headed for Smallville and not _us_, Martha insisted that we get home to make sure you were all right."

After an inspection of the house, to check for any possible interior damage, the foursome walked outside into brilliant sunshine and took a walk around the farm to survey what the twister had left in its wake. As Clark had figured, several of the shingles were gone, but none of the windows were cracked or broken.

The barn still stood in one piece, but for a large hole in the roof and one of the doors had come loose. All the animals were accounted for and Martha's chicken coop, as well; full of flustered, flapping, clucking hens.

"I'm glad that I insisted you secure the coop to the side of the barn." She remarked absently.

The Kent family had been fortunate their farm only received minor damage and the repairs could be done by Jonathan and Clark; but silent worry nagged because their neighbors might not have been so lucky.

As they walked back to the house, Lois could hear the telephone ringing and Jonathan broke into a run and headed toward the front door. "That's probably Ben or Ed."

"Clark, would you check on the crops for your dad?" Martha put a hand on his arm. "He didn't say much on the way home, but I know he was worried."

"Sure, Mom," He kissed her cheek and then Lois's. "I shouldn't be long."

He headed up the lane at a brisk pace, dodging mud puddles as he went and Martha linked her arm through Lois's, propelling her toward the house. "So how are you feeling after all of this excitement?"

"I don't know if excitement is the word I would use." Lois remarked. "It just all seemed to happen so fast."

"It's hard to believe that a force of nature that sets down for less than a minute can cause so much damage." She sighed. "And interrupt a romantic afternoon?"

"We made due." Lois' head dipped because she didn't know how she could explain. But when Martha laughed, she knew she wouldn't have to.

"The storm cellar?"

"There, too," Her face burned with a blush and she couldn't meet her mother-in-law's eyes.

"And might one of those other places explain your damp hair?" The gentle question came with a soft hand on her back.

"It would." She shouldn't have felt so completely mortified, but she did. Yet a laughing admission from Martha got a startled Lois to look up.

"The attic."

"I beg your pardon?" Did she mean what Lois _thought_ she meant?

Martha gave her a look and nodded as though to say, _"You heard me right."_

"We hadn't been alone for so long and we'd not been able to do _that_ yet, because even before my doctor said I could, my baby boy came down with the croup. Like all new mothers I wanted to take care of him myself and because I refused my mother-in-law's help _and_ Jonathan's, I was always tired.

"So, our first Christmas after I had Clark, Jonathan's mother asked me to go up to the attic to get the last of the ornaments. I got distracted with looking through the boxes because Clark's grandmother had some beautiful ornaments that had been _her_ mother's. Jonathan's parents were looking after Clark, so his mother sent him up to collect me _and_ them and, well, one thing led to another."

The surprise at the candid admission left her momentarily speechless. Lois couldn't seem to help it and started to laugh at the thought of her in-law's being so much like her and Clark; then immediately apologized.

"It's all right, honey." Martha laughed as well. "We were young and in love, we were new parents and we hadn't been together for months."

"So you found yourselves alone and nature took over?" She proffered delicately.

"I'm certain his parents knew what had happened when we finally came downstairs," Her cheeks bloomed as pink as her spring roses. "But they were gracious enough not to mention it."

"Sounds like some in-law's _I_ know." Lois grinned and as the two women walked back to the house, Clark came ambling up the lane and escorted them to the porch steps, giving them an update.

"No damage." He was succinct. "We managed to escape the worst of it."

"But the Carmichael's didn't." Jonathan announced from the front doorway looking troubled, arms folded across his chest. It startled her for a moment because quite often Clark took that same stance; _like father like son_. "Ben Hubbard called. The Carmichael's lost their barn; half the shingles on their house and several windows are broken."

"Oh, dear," Martha sighed and ran a hand across her forehead. "Is everyone all right?"

"Ed and Lydia are fine." He assured them. "And the remains of the barn are a pile of kindling on the foundation, according to Ed. Ben's trying to round up all the men he can muster and we'll head over to Ed's place early in the morning to clean up the mess and get his barn back up." And he looked at Clark. "We could use all the help we can get."

"Just call me when you get up." He nodded his agreement.

"Thank you, son," Jonathan grinned with approval. He finally seemed to realize he'd lost the battle _and_ the war to keep his only son from helping him.

"I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind lending a hand either, if you want it." Lois volunteered her father. "He's never raised a barn before, but he _is_ handy with a set of tools."

"Thank you, Lois." He replied with a nod. "I know Ed would appreciate all the help he can get."

"I'll call him later." She promised as she felt Clark's hand slip around hers and squeeze. He gave her a grateful look before they followed his parents back into the house.

oooooo

It was just after dawn the next morning when Lois's father drove up to the farm house.

She wasn't sure why she expected to see him in fatigues, perhaps because he usually dressed that way, so it surprised her to see him dressed in dungarees and a tee shirt. Over that, he had on an old plaid wool jacket she recognized.

He'd been stationed in Texas where summers were blistering hot, but winters could be frigid cold. Not as bad as Greenland; but after awhile, cold was cold. He always told her that jacket kept him warmer than anything else he'd ever worn.

For several minutes after she'd let him in, he held her tight in his arms, trembling as he held her close. She'd been able to talk him out of coming to the farm the day before with the repeated assurance they were all fine and instead asked his help for the next morning.

The twister bypassed Fort Ryan, but several dozen soldiers stationed at the base had been dispatched by the CO to the surrounding communities to provide help in any way they could.

When they left the house an hour later after eating a hearty breakfast, Clark's parents and her father rode over in the truck while he and Lois went in their car. Martha had urged her to bake some of her turnovers for the refreshment table Mrs. Hubbard was organizing so Mrs. Carmichael wouldn't feel as though she had to feed the neighborhood army that was going to descend on their farm.

Martha, for her part made a batch of her fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. Lois didn't have any idea where Mrs. Carmichael would store all the food until the men were ready to break for lunch, but knew without a doubt she would.

In turn, _she _would provide fresh coffee and her homemade doughnuts to get the work crew through the morning. This was relayed by Martha to the rest of the Kent's through several telephone calls she fielded between the Hubbard's, Carmichael's and other neighbor ladies who didn't want to bother either woman.

When they arrived at the Carmichael's twenty minutes later, they followed the line of cars in front of them to a small piece of land that had been set aside for parking. Mr. Carmichael's two oldest sons helped to direct the cars and then arranged them in such a way so no one got stuck if they needed to leave. When they were through, they walked back to the house to join their father on the roof to continue replacing the shingles. Others were already measuring and sawing the lumber for the frames while even more were clearing up the remains of the decimated barn.

Jonathan volunteered to help measure and saw, since he'd done it more than a time or two; while Clark and her father put their work gloves on and joined in the clean-up effort. Mr. Carmichael called to the men working on clearing the foundation, to salvage the lumber that could be used again.

With the men put to work, Lois and Martha took the food they'd brought with them into the house. It was a crush of women and children, jockeying to make their way into the kitchen to drop off what they'd brought and chat with the other women.

Crowds didn't ordinarily bother Lois but she started to feel lightheaded in the press of bodies, with the different smells of food and her hands got damp and started to shake. Observant as always, Martha took the plate of turnovers out of her unsteady hands, set them on the breakfront in the dining room and pulled her out to the quiet of the back porch.

Mrs. Carmichael must've seen it, too because she wasn't far behind them; her concern evident as she kept her voice low. "Lois, you're looking awfully pale, why don't you go upstairs to my daughter's old room and lay down for awhile; just until you get your feet under you."

"I'm fine." She tried to insist, even though she knew she wasn't.

"I beg to differ, honey." She laughed softly. "It's toughest early on because so much is changing. And if you don't go rest for awhile you'll more than likely swoon and give these good ladies something to talk about."

_And they would, too._

"If anyone asks you, you're looking for the wash room."

"Thank you." Lois was starting to wilt.

"You'd best get back to the kitchen, Lydia; I'll get Lois settled." Martha rubbed Lois' shoulder in a soothing manner. "The ladies will start to wonder why you're out here with us."

"Very true," She agreed. "When we're ready to serve lunch, I'll have Martha come get you."

"All right."

Mrs. Carmichael moved quietly back into the house, apparently without notice to resume the food collection and Lois grinned at her mother-in-law. "The OSS could use someone like her."

Martha smiled back. "'The fog came in on little cat feet' ".

"Poem?"

"Carl Sandburg." She nodded. "It seemed the perfect way to describe how she slipped into that busy kitchen without any one noticing she was gone."

"Dad's like that, too; only _he's_ has years of Army training."

"Well, let's see if some of that rubbed off on you so we can get you stashed away." And as quietly as she could, Martha led the way.

oooooo

"Up and at 'em, Lo," She knew that command, soft though it may have been. "Martha asked me to come get you."

Lois opened her eyes and saw her father sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand between both of his and rubbing it gently. "What time is it?"

"You've been out light a light for about an hour and a half." He told her and pressed the palm of his hand to her forehead; just as Mom had done with a young Lois to check her temperature. "Mrs. Carmichael and I have been taking turns checking on you, so Clark won't start to worry that his mother keeps disappearing and Jonathan's been keeping him busy so he won't notice that you haven't been outside since we got here."

"The crowded kitchen got to me." She gave him a short briefing. "And Mrs. Carmichael sent me up here."

He nodded and grasped her hand. "So Martha told me. Do you feel steady enough to sit up?"

"I think so." Lois nodded and the General eased her up to a seated position, her hand still in his; and then he started to chuckle.

"I remember going through this with your mother when she found out we were going to have _you_." He shook his head with amusement. "If she wasn't losing her lunch, she slept. And if she wasn't sleeping, she ate."

"The sleeping is something new." Lois told him. "But I'm finally getting over the morning sickness, so my appetite is coming back."

"I'm glad to hear it." He got an arm around her shoulders. "And since your mother can't be here to help you through this, I'm glad Martha is."

"So am I." She sighed. "She's been really wonderful about everything."

"With the Kent's looking after you, I won't worry so much when I have to head overseas."

Lois stiffened at the word 'overseas' and her heart tripped into double time. "Overseas?"

"Not just yet." He patted her arm. "I'm sorry, Lo; I shouldn't have made it sound like I would be shipping out soon."

She looked up at her father, seeing the look of concern on his face and smiled at him. "You have to wait until this kid is born, you know." She put a hand on her abdomen. "You missed out on Michael being born and I know you don't want to miss _this_."

"Of course I don't." He sighed. "But you know the drill; I go where the Army sends me; _when_ they send me."

"I know the drill." She put her head on his shoulder, needing his strength at the moment. "And when the time comes, I'll let you go."

"You've always been my good little soldier." He pressed a kiss in her hair. "But since I don't know when I'm going to get my orders, we just have to make the most of the time we've got."

"Deal," She sat up and nodded firmly, as though they were sealing a pact and made to stand up when her father stopped her with the hand still on her shoulder.

"There's something I'd like to say before we go downstairs." He cleared his throat. "I've spent more off hours out here in the last year and a half, even before you came to call this community home and it's meant a lot to me.

"Before you got yourself involved with young Kent, I'd never had the chance to see much beyond the Army bases where we were stationed. But the closer you got to him and to his parents; you seemed to get closer to that place." He added with a grin, "And _we_ did, too."

"It's like Jonathan says, it's the Kent farm magic." And she hugged him.

"Well, whatever you call it; I _am_ grateful for it."

"So am I, Dad." She held onto him, not wanting to let go. Her father was finally a real part of her life and she wanted him to be a part of her child's life, too. He seemed to sense where her thoughts were going; but then, he'd always been good at that; harder to keep secrets from him that way.

"Come on." He patted her back gently. "Remember what I always said about borrowing trouble."

"The interest payments will kick you in the ass?" She leaned back and smiled at him.

"And neither one of us can afford it, can we?" He chuckled and let her go. "Mrs. Carmichael asked me to tell you everyone is outside right at the moment. And if you'd like to help her in the kitchen, it'll be nice and quiet."

She nodded. "You know, one of the nicest things about living out here is the way everyone looks after each other, even _me_."

"You're part of the Kent family, Lo." He put his hand on her elbow and guided her to the open doorway. "And it makes you part of their community."

"You're part of them too, you know." Lois didn't hesitate to remind him. "When I married Clark, _you_ became part of the Kent family."

"I guess I did at that." He chuckled again. "With the exception of your mother's family, I can't think of a nicer family to be part of."

He walked Lois downstairs to the kitchen and Mrs. Carmichael smiled at them as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. "There you are. Feeling any better?"

"Much, thank you." She admitted.

"I'll leave my daughter in your capable hands." Dad squeezed her elbow. "I need to get back out there."

"Thanks, Dad." She kissed his cheek.

"Anytime," He squeezed her elbow again and gave a short nod to Mrs. Carmichael and walked out of the kitchen.

"I remember him from your wedding and the Hubbard's Christmas parties." The older woman commented. "A widower, is he?"

"Yes." Lois had to curb the urge to smile because she sensed some matchmaking might be in the works. "But he's still devoted to my mother."

"Some folks are like that." There was a thoughtful look on her face. "Men like your father never get over the loss and have no interest in marrying again."

"He's always appreciated the concern of his not being alone, but at this point in his life I think he's happy being a father-in-law and and grandpa. And he and Jonathan and Martha have become good friends."

"I'm glad." She took Lois' hand and grasped it. "A man can't have too many friends."

"Or too many grandchildren, if you ask him." She laughed. "He couldn't be with my sister when she had my nephew, so he wants to be here for this little one."

"I hope he can, honey."

"So do I," Lois replied and had to silently admonish herself, '_Don't borrow trouble'_.

"Lois, if you feel up to it, would you mind taking this tray of doughnuts out to the table on the porch?" Mrs. Carmichael asked her. "You could probably use some fresh air after being cooped up inside."

Lois hesitated only because if Clark saw her holding a tray, he'd worry; even if he'd follow through on his promise not to coddle her. "This is going to sound like an odd question, but is it very heavy?"

But Mrs. Carmichael seemed to understand why she was asking and smiled at her. "Dealing with an overprotective expectant father, are we?"

"That's it." She was relieved Martha's neighbor understood her predicament. "I love him for being so concerned, really."

"All first time father's go through it." She assured the expectant mother. "Ed wouldn't even let me pick up a newspaper while I carried our first."

"Laundry basket," Lois pointed to herself.

"I've always thought even though _we're_ the ones who carry our children for nine months and we deal with all of the changes our bodies go through, loving and caring husbands are right there alongside; going through those changes with us."

"He really _is_ something, you know." She put a hand up to her abdomen and ran a hand over the slight swell. "If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have this one here or such wonderful in-laws."

"I suspect he probably feels the same way about _you_." She nodded her agreement. "He became such a man of the world living in a big city like Washington D.C. and traveling the country as much as he did. He's a far cry from the boy who escorted my Becky to their Senior Prom."

At the mention of his prom Lois started to laugh, she couldn't help it. It was one of the first things Clark revealed to her about his childhood.

"You know about the hayloft, then?" Mrs. Carmichael laughed softly, shaking her head in amusement. "I don't know who was more upset that night; Ed or Jonathan. And when Becky finally admitted that it was _her_ idea, well, it just took all the fight out of her father."

"It's something that still embarrasses him." She replied. "We didn't know each other yet when he told me, because I think if we had he would have been mortified."

"Clark was, and _is_, such a well-behaved young man and I had a difficult time believing any of it was his idea." She put a hand to her cheek in amusement and shook her head again. "Becky was a headstrong girl and being the _only_ girl in a family of boys well, I'm embarrassed to say Ed and I overindulged her." Then she added swiftly, as though she felt the need to defend her daughter, "But everything is fine now. She found a wonderful young man who was able to tame that willfullness and they're absolutely devoted to each other."

"It's interesting what happens to a girl when she meets the right man," Lois agreed, "Or when a man meets the right woman."

"And you are a perfect example of that, honey." She put a hand on Lois' shoulder for a moment. "Don't forget now, the offer is still open to go through my old maternity clothes."

"Thank you, Mrs. Carmichael." The offer touched her and she nodded. "Would sometime next week be all right? I'll call you when I know for certain what day."

"Fine; and why don't you call me Lydia?" She handed over the tray of doughnuts and Lois silently hoped Clark wouldn't see her. She didn't want him to worry; she wanted all of his concentration on helping to raise the Carmichael's barn. Even though it wasn't heavy, Lois wasn't sure she'd be able to convince _him_. "We _are_ neighbors after all."

"I'm still trying to get used to calling my mother-in-law, _Martha_."

"You do what makes you comfortable." The older woman smiled at her. "I certainly won't take offense if you don't."

"I appreciate that and the offer of the clothes, too."

"That's what neighbors do for each other, Lois." She walked with Lois through the kitchen and out to the front porch. "Just like what all these good folks are doing for Ed and me. And what _we'll_ do to help the Hubbard's tomorrow."

"At least their house wasn't too badly damaged." She sighed, thinking about the swath the twister had cut through the Hubbard's property. Two fields uprooted as well as several broken windows and half the shingles gone on their house. "The damage _we_ suffered was something Clark and Jonathan can repair."

"It didn't leave any of us untouched, that's for sure." Mrs. Carmichael commented and then took a short breath and smiled. "But enough of being Mrs. Gloomy Gus, We may have lost our barn, but there were no lives lost and no loss of our livestock either; so we can be very thankful. I'm heading back inside to get more coffee."

And she went back inside, the screen door thumping closed behind her.

The sounds of activity were everywhere; hammers ringing against the blunt end of nails as they were driven into the freshly cut planks slowly taking shape as the new frames. The single bladed saws cutting the boards and the snap of measuring tapes as they were retracted after pencil marks and measurements were made on the uncut wood.

The smell of sawdust hung in the air and next to the smells of late autumn fires coming from nearby homesteads, it had become one of Lois' favorites.

As she looked over toward the foundation where the old barn had lain in a pile of rubble, she was surprised to see all the damaged lumber had been cleared. The wood that could be used again had been cut and stacked, while the damaged wood had been piled nearby. Young boys were instructed by their fathers or mothers to collect what they could carry and take it to their respective trucks.

She finally spotted Clark, the General and Jonathan working side by side. It sent a thrill of love and pride through her to see her husband working alongside her father _and_ his, hammering the two by fours together that were becoming part of the frame for the Carmichael's new barn. She could swear she felt the baby suddenly move, as though reacting to his or _her_ mother's excitement.

The power he was wielding through each swing of the hammer showed in the way the muscles in his arms and back rolled and flexed. And she felt her face flush because she knew how those very same muscles felt underneath her fingers when he wielded the power of his body when they made love.

Clark seemed to sense Lois watching him because he suddenly stopped and stood up, stretched his back and took a surreptitious look over his shoulder and then smiled at her. His own face flushed, but she couldn't tell if it was the exertion or because he knew what she'd been thinking.

It didn't really matter because he slipped the hammer he held in his hand into the loop on his tool belt. And when he purposely started walking toward her Lois started because, from the look on his face, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

The sight of him striding with such intent in her direction, his damp tee shirt clinging to his strong body set her heart to racing as he pulled off his work gloves and shoved them into his back pocket while she waited. Friends and neighbors alike seemed to stop and wait as well; waiting to see what the young groom would do as the sounds of hammering and the handsaws quickly began to die away.

Clark seemed oblivious to the fact that he'd attracted so much attention and created the gradual silence, because he was a man on a mission. He stepped up onto the porch and came to a stop in front of his expectant bride; put his hands on her shoulders before he leaned over to press a gentle kiss to her cheek.

There was a lot of laughter and clapping and Lois felt her face flush. He put a hand to her cheek and smiled and when he gave her a soft, brief kiss she heard a smattering of catcalls and good-natured booing. "Don't look so disappointed, Lois."

She knew she looked like a blinking owl, which she usually did when he would do something she wasn't expecting. She had expected to be thoroughly kissed and her eyebrows went up to tell him how disappointed that she wasn't; _that's it?_

"I promise I'll make it up to you later." His eyes twinkled with amusement and some mischief as he let her go to rejoin their fathers.

"Darn tootin' you will." She answered quietly as she watched him go with a sigh while the sounds of hammers and saws gradually started up again.

After he put his work gloves back on, pulled the hammer out of his belt and bent back over to resume his labor, her father leaned over to say something to him and Clark grinned bashfully. His face turned a deep shade of red and Lois had a pretty good idea of what the General had probably said. _"You should have grabbed her and kissed her senseless the way you wanted to."_

But as much as he might have wanted to, she knew he never would have done it; his proper upbringing wouldn't have allowed it.

"_I didn't raise my son to be an exhibitionist." _His mother's long ago admonition to him echoed in Lois' ears.

Martha had commented to Lois soon after she and Clark were married how he seemed to smile and laugh so effortlessly. She said that it warmed her mother's heart because she got to see the carefree child he'd been during his boyhood. And she loved Lois all the more for bringing her happy boy back to her.

"He always seems to know exactly where you are." She felt the gentle hand of her mother-in-law on her shoulder. "Even before your courtship started, he seemed to know."

"Well that would make sense, seeing as how he was responsible for my safety." Lois put a hand over her abdomen and giggled. "And come to think of it, he still is."

"Honey, I don't think I've ever heard you laugh so much either." Martha commented with a laugh of her own, brushing a hand over Lois' hair. "Ever since you found out you were expecting, I always see a smile on your face and you giggle with the happiness of a little girl."

"Maybe that means I _am_ having a girl." She teased and the older woman hugged her.

"Boy or girl, we'll welcome either one."

"So will _we_."

"I must say, you look much better than you did earlier; you've got your color back." Martha's hand was on her back, rubbing gently. "I was concerned you were going to swoon."

"It crossed my mind, too." Lois reluctantly admitted and reached toward the plate of doughnuts, intending to pick one up. '_Temptation, thy name is doughnut' _andshe pulled her hand away. At Martha's questioning look, Lois explained. "Dr. Francis doesn't want me gaining more than twenty-five pounds; he said it's not good for me _or _the baby if I gain too much."

"Your doctor is a smart fellow."

"He is." She agreed with a nod. "And Clark likes him as much as I do, which I'm glad of."

Martha smiled at her and patted her shoulder. "I think it's just as important for the father of a coming baby to be comfortable with his wife's doctor as _she_ is."

"Speaking of coming, Lionel was supposed to be here this morning." Lois scanned the Carmichael property for the second time since she'd been out on the porch and there was no sign of her boss. "He was in Metropolis when I talked to him yesterday and he said he wanted to be here to help."

"I'm sorry, honey; I haven't seen him." Martha replied with a shake of her head. "Maybe the Luthor mansion suffered some damage and he needed to stay to see to the repairs."

"Maybe, but it's not like him to say he's going to be someplace and then not show up." Maybe she shouldn't have been so concerned, but suddenly she was.

"If you want to call over there, I'm sure Lydia wouldn't mind if you used her telephone."

"I think I will." Lois decided with a firm nod. She walked back into the house and Mrs. Carmichael pointed her to the phone on the hall table.

"Is everything all right?" She asked, a worried look shading her features.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Lois replied a little worriedly. "I just want to make sure."

She dialed the club, thinking he might be there but no one picked up; so she called the mansion. It took more than a few rings before Lionel himself picked up, which caught Lois by surprise; Lionel _never_ answered his own telephone. "I was getting worried because you hadn't shown up."

"I'm sorry, my dear," He seemed particularly subdued. "Today has been both a blessing and a curse for the Luthor's."

"Lionel, what's happened?"

"There's no delicate way to put this, Lois." And she heard him sigh. "Lana's dead."

**Story will continue in two weeks.**


	15. The End of the Beginning

After helping the Carmichael's repair the damage to their farm; Clark, Lois and his parents joined Lionel late the next morning, with a briefly furloughed Lex Luthor, at the Smallville Cemetery.

It wouldn't have bothered Clark not to go, but as Lois gently reminded him they _were_ going for Lionel's sake; not for Lana or Lex. And with his parent's accompanying them to the gravesite, Lionel's obvious gratitude for their presence there made the whole ordeal more bearable.

It was evident to Clark that Lionel _had_ cared for his daughter-in-law; to see him so somber as the minister held a brief service. The good Reverend in turn was flummoxed at the almost joyful demeanor of the new widower and it seemed as though he tried not to glare at Lex's lack of respect.

"_Au revoir, Mon Cherie_." He openly laughed, holding a hand out to his father who reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a wedding ring and set it in his son's open palm. "And you can take thiswith you."

He dropped it without care on top of the polished mahogany coffin, already lowered into the ground, and the sound cracked in the unusually cold air before bouncing off into the soft dirt.

Clark reflexively grasped for his own wedding ring and held on to it possessively.

"Alexander, have some respect." He heard the quiet admonishment from Lionel. "The girl _is_ dead."

"You think I should behave like a grieving husband?" Lex fixed an insolent look on his father before his predatory gaze found Lois and she tucked herself behind Clark and reached for his left hand and he took it firmly in his. "Now if I'd lost a prize like _her_, I _would_ be grieving."

He wanted so badly to say something, to shut him up, but to do so in this solemn place would be to embarrass both Lois _and_ Lionel; so Clark reluctantly refrained. He respected Lionel too much and while Lex insisted on making an ass out of himself, he wasn't about to.

Lois leaned up and whispered in his ear. "Thank you, sweetheart."

She must've sensed what was going through his mind and concerned he would do just that.

"All right, Luthor let's go." A prison guard had been standing descreetly away from the service, but stepped forward as soon as Lex shot his mouth off; a pair of handcuffs at the ready and quickly snapped on his wrists. "You've bothered these good people long enough."

"Have some sympathy, Officer." He fixed Lois with a lingering glance for a moment more before he schooled his features into a grieved expression and looked at the guard. "I've lost my dear wife."

"Sure you have." He grabbed Lex by the arm and with a respectful nod to Lionel, marched Lex none too gently back to a waiting unmarked car. "And I'm Eleanor Roosevelt."

"Are you all right, honey?" Mom cast a worried eye on Lois. "You look a little pale."

"I apologize for my son's boorish behavior, my dear." Lionel shook his head and watched Lex being put into the prison vehicle and driven away. "I had no idea he harbored such thoughts about you."

"I didn't either." Lois remarked and Clark could feel her body trembling against his. "He always behaved like such a gentleman."

"I'm afraid he learned that unfortunate deception from me." He sighed. "I'm being made to pay for my wicked past through my wicked son."

"Every man has to take responsibility for his own actions, Mr. Luthor." Dad spoke up. "_You_ did and now your son has to, but he's the only one who can decide whether he will or not. You can't make the choice for him."

"Very true, Mr. Kent," Lionel acknowledged. "And thank you."

"I think all parents would like to go back and change something about the way they raised their kids after they've left the nest." He shrugged and seemed a little embarrassed. "I certainly would never speak for Martha, but I can think of a few occasions I'd handle differently."

"I can think of _more_ than a few." Lionel sighed and shook his head sadly. "A child's formative years are the most important and Lillian cautioned me to that more often than I'd care to admit. But I was bound and determined Lex would be molded in my image." He glanced dejectedly at the gravesite and then at Clark and Lois. "I even held out some hope Lana would be his salvation. Lex must have been much more charming than usual to attract the attention of such a shy girl."

"Lana?"

He smiled faintly at the disbelief in Lois' voice. "I understand how difficult it must be to see it now. But when Lex first brought her to the mansion, she was a very sweet young girl. It was his callous disregard of her that made her change."

"How did they meet?" Mom asked him, looking genuinely curious.

"I don't really know because neither was particularly forthcoming with that detail." And he frowned. "But knowing my son as I do, he probably saw a girl he thought he could bend to his will."

"Did he force himself on her?" Dad's expression was thunderous; reflecting a father's outrage at the treatment of a child.

"Lex would never be that incautious." Lionel shook his head. "I imagine he took his time and gradually eased her misgivings about it by making her believe he was wooing her. When he finally got what he wanted and Lana found herself in a delicate condition, she did what any girl in such a situation would do."

"Lana didn't trap him." It was Lois' turn to sigh and Clark felt her cheek rest against his shoulder. "She was damaged goods because of him."

"The poor girl came to see me when she found out about the child and asked for my help because he refused to do the honorable thing."

"What a prince." Lois snorted in contempt.

"I told him if he didn't do the right thing by her, I wouldn't hesitate to inform the Lowell County Sheriff's Department about the illegal activity being conducted in his clubs."

"I wish you had." Clark commented and Lionel smiled at him.

"I also told him I would get every girl he'd compelled into the flesh trade to testify against him. Several of them had already assured me they would."

"So that got him to the altar?"

"A Justice of the Peace at the Lowell County courthouse," He smiled softly at the mahogany coffin. "He's never forgiven me for it, but at least my grandchild would have had the Luthor name."

_He would have had Lex Luthor for a father, too; _Clark couldn't stop the uncharitable thought and his eyes met Lionel's as though the older man had heard, because he nodded.

"Why don't we leave now and go back to the farm?" Mom gently offered. "We were planning on having lunch before Jonathan and Clark started on the repairs to the barn and the house."

"I appreciate the kind offer, Mrs. Kent; but I feel as though I'd be imposing." Lionel demurred with a shake of his head.

"Nonsense," Dad chimed in. "Sam's coming to give us a hand, so one more for lunch wouldn't be an imposition."

"I will, but only if you allow me to assist."

"You?" Lois' voice held a note of surprise and Clark had to squelch the urge to smile.

"Yes, _me_," He raised an imperious eyebrow at her and then chuckled. "It's been quite a few years since I've swung a hammer, but I was very adept as a lad."

"Then you've got yourself a deal." Dad stuck his hand out and Lionel shook. "More hands mean less work for all of us. Thank you, Mr. Luthor."

"You can thank me by calling me Lionel, please." He smiled at Clark's parents. "The both of you."

"Fair enough," Mom agreed. "But only of you call us Jonathan and Martha."

"I would consider it an honor." He then shook the hand of Clark's mother to seal the deal. "I'll drive out to the farm as soon as I get into a change of clothes.

"We'll be looking for you in, say, forty-five minutes?" She asked.

"I'll be there."

Later that afternoon when the work was complete, Lionel invited Clark's parents and Lois' father to dinner at the mansion as a thank you for accepting his help as part of the work detail. He'd extended the invitation to Clark and Lois as well, but his mother deftly stepped in and suggested that the younger Kent's might stay behind.

"Your day was interrupted because of the twister, so with us out of the house again, you can finish what you started."

Clark's gaze locked with Lois's across the table and then he dipped his head to hide a smile when she blushed at Mom's lack of guile. If she'd known what they'd been up to, _she_ would have been the one blushing.

"With all the help you've both given the last couple of days, I think you deserve it." Dad put in his two cents and didn't bother to hide his grin because he probably _did_ know.

"You're only young once, you know." Sam had his say and chuckled.

"Thanks for the information, Dad." Lois frowned at her father. "I never would have known otherwise."

Sam grinned as well; knowing better than anyone, even her husband how to get a rise out of his daughter.

"With that settled," Mom reached over and gently rubbed Lois' shoulder, soothing her ruffled feathers with a smile. "Lois can help me clear the table, while you gentlemen get cleaned up."

"That's my cue to leave then." Sam pushed himself away from the table and stood up. "I need to get back to my quarters and I'll clean up there."

Lionel followed suit and with the agreement of the older Kent's and the General, set a dinner hour with a cocktail hour beforehand. "With unexpected dinner guests, I think it's best. André can get quite excitable with last minute changes to the dinner arrangements. But with a later dinner time and cocktails to start, he shouldn't have cause for a fit of the vapors."

"Temperamental, is he?" Lois' father shook his head with amusement. "He should meet our cooks on base; _they'd_ knock the vapors right out of him."

"I may take you up on that." Lionel replied somewhat seriously. "It could make things a little less volatile in the kitchen."

"Jonathan and I will walk you out while Clark helps Lois clear the table and then she can take him upstairs to get washed up." Mom smiled at them before she and Dad walked with Lionel and Sam to the front door.

"And maybe you can scrub my back, too." He suggested quietly in her ear as he watched the foursome step outside and Mom closed the door.

"Not with your parent's still here." Lois shook her head and then leaned up to kiss his cheek. "If it's all the same to you, I wouldn't mind a quiet evening in front of the fire listening to Bob Hope."

Lois was turning down the opportunity to make love in an empty house? "Is everything all right?"

She laughed softly as she tucked her hand through his arm and he pressed it against his side. "We're fine, I promise. And it's not that I don't want to take advantage of your parent's leaving us here alone, again. But after everything that's happened in the last couple of days, especially with Lana, it just wouldn't feel right. Do you mind?"

He did, but Clark wasn't about to tell her that. She had her reasons and to ignore them so he could satisfy the perpetual need he had to be with her would make him a heel of the worst sort; and the Neaderthal she'd once accused him of being. So instead, he shook his head and fibbed. "Of course not," And then he frowned. "What I still don't understand is why she didn't go down into the cellar like Lionel told her to."

"Maybe because he told her," Lois shrugged and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. "Or maybe she thought the mansion would be out of the twister's path so she wouldn't have to."

"You know, as difficult as she made things for us-"

"And for _you_," She interjected.

"And for me," He conceded. "I couldn't understand why she would stay in a marriage with Lex after she lost their baby." He squeezed her fingers gently. "But after today, I think I have an idea."

"Lionel."

_She had a disconcerting habit of reading his thoughts. _

Clark nodded and dropped a kiss in her hair. "He was the closest thing to family, to a father, she had. And she was the closest thing to a daughter _he_ had. So he looked after her and did what he could to try and blunt Lex's treatment of her."

"It would explain why she hung on so tightly to you." Lois looked up at him and her gray eyes were full of compassion and caring he wasn't sure Lana Luthor deserved. "You gave her attention she wasn't getting from _him_."

"I never gave her my heart." He didn't want Lois to ever doubt it.

"Oh, I know that." She put her hand on his chest, over his heart. "I never thought otherwise; even before we were an _us_."

"You know, I did get glimpses of the girl Lionel was talking about earlier, but it still doesn't change the fact she was a very unlikeable person."

"But now, at least we have a better idea why." She sighed. "But even with her gone, we still have one problem."

"What's that?"

"The shooter hasn't been caught, so we still don't know if Lana even contracted him."

_She was right. _"I've got a contact at the Metropolis Police Departrment, Lieutenant John Jones, who's been doing some nosing around for me. I'll call him in the morning to see if he's been able to find out anything."

"I thought you had a meeting with Lex tomorrow."

"I do." He nodded in the affirmative. "And if I didn't think he might give me some useful information, I'd tell him to pound sand."

"Just don't let him get the better of you." Lois advised him with a stern look. He could see her using that look on their child when he _or_ she had gotten into trouble for something because if they turned out anything like his wife, trouble would surely find them. "If what happened at the cemetery today is a prelude, who knows what he might say tomorrow."

"I thought of that, too."

"If he does, because I'd be surprised if he didn't, please don't take the bait."

"Even if he says something about_ you_?"

"_Especially_ if he says something about me, because he knows I'm your soft spot."

He didn't like being asked to make that pledge to her. "I'm your husband, Lois and it's my job to defend you, to defend your honor."

"Honey, I don't give two hoots what he thinks of me and I love you because you do." She rewarded his gallantry with a warm, damp and lingering kiss and he felt his face flush in pleasant surprise. But still-

"Lois, you don't know what you're asking."

"Yes, I do." She grasped his arm firmly. "So don't do anything rash tomorrow."

"Anything rash?" He grinned at her earnest request. "By that you mean, not beating the stuffing out of him?"

She leaned up to give him another lingering kiss and Clark wished they could see things differently more often because he enjoyed the method of persuasion she employed. "Be the straight-arrow, by-the-book G-man I fell in love with."

"That's a tall order, Mrs. Kent." _He loved calling her that._

"Well you're a tall man, Agent Kent." She smiled at him for a moment and sobered again. "Just promise me."

He got his arms around her waist and pulled her close against him to reply just as seriously. "I promise." And because he'd given her his word, Clark thought he deserved a reward. "I think I should get a kiss for that."

"Oh, honestly," Lois shook her head with a soft smile and proceeded to give him what he wanted. But apparently she wasn't finished when she leaned up close to his ear and her warm breath warmed his body. "Help me clear the table and I'll consider scrubbing your back for you, parents or no parents."

"Really?" He leaned back to see if she was serious and saw a coy smile and her bottom lip caught between her teeth; _she was. _

In 'two shakes of a lamb's tail', as Grandma Kent would have said, Clark and Lois had the table cleared, the dishes stacked neatly in the sink and were practically running up the kitchen stairs hand in hand, as his parent's came back inside.

"Don't take too long." His mother's amused voice followed them. "Your father still needs to clean up before we go."

He hustled her into the bathroom and closed the door with a soft click, so his parent's wouldn't know how eager he was to get his wife in the shower with him, just where they'd had to leave off before the twister hit. He turned the water on, adjusted the taps and satisfied it wasn't too hot, he faced Lois and she blushed.

"Clark?"

"Yes?"

"What I said down there about not feeling right about making love?" She skimmed his open flannel shirt off of his shoulders and he shrugged it to the floor.

"Yes?" _Don't smile, Clark._

"I changed my mind." She had the edge of his tee shirt in her hands and tugged it up toward his head. He lifted his arms to help her lift it off and then reached over her shoulders to loosen the collar buttons at the back her dress. With a casual lift of her shoulders, the loose dress whispered to the floor.

_He'd hoped she would._

And faster than he thought would be possible, after placing a bathmat on the bottom of the tub so there would be less chance of Lois slipping, the rest of their clothes were discarded and they picked up where they'd been forced to leave off. But this time, their pace was anything but leisurely as she launched herself into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust impatient hands into his wet hair as her lips sought out his.

"Lois." He whispered her name in between heated kisses and roaming hands. "Not here."

"Why not?" She kissed his chin, his nose, and his cheeks and then covered his lips with hers again, pressing her breasts into his chest insistently. "You made sure we won't slip."

"That's not why I did it." He kissed her shoulder and then grazed his lips up her neck and nuzzled her ear. He honestly hadn't, even though his manhood was certainly all for it. But since they had a baby to consider, a baby that was currently residing inside his wife, Clark wasn't about to take any chances. So he, very reluctantly, loosened her hold around his neck and looked her in the eye. "This still isn't a safe place for that. So be a good girl, get down and scrub my back."

"That's the second time in two days you've told me what to do, handsome." He couldn't quite tell if she was irritated with him or ready to kiss him. "I like it."

"I'd like it if I could finish my shower." He replied and ran a hand down to her backside and kneaded the firm flesh. "Dad still needs to get in here."

"If I'd known you'd become so bossy after we got married, I might have reconsidered accepting your proposal." She feigned a frown and he thought she looked adorable.

"No you wouldn't." Clark shook his head and kissed her cheek. "Because I think it's fair to say you can't live without me."

"Are you so sure about that?" An eyebrow went up in question.

"Yes." He replied and the next thing he knew, Lois slipped out of his arms and stood in front of him, her hands on his chest. "And I'm certain I can't live without _you_."

"I know." She gave him with a winsome smile that bode well for a romantic evening.

With that said, she scrubbed his back as she said she would while he took care of everything else. And when he was all cleaned up, turned off the taps and reached for a couple of towels. He made a cursory rub of his hair before securing the towel around his waist while Lois dried her hair and wrapped herself in her towel.

He stepped out of the tub and held his hand out to her to help her out and he grinned as they each picked up their clothes and shoes and he opened the bathroom door. With a quick check up and down the hallway, he took Lois's hand and they made a dash for their bedroom. As they passed the top of the kitchen stairs he called down to his parents. "Bathroom's free."

"I hope you didn't use all the hot water." Clark heard the rustle of a newspaper and his fathers laugh.

"We tried not to." Lois called down with a giggle as she and he got to the bedroom door. "Have a nice evening."

"You, too," Mom called back up and he could hear the amusement in her tone as he urged Lois inside the room and closed the door behind them.

With firm, dry flooring underneath their feet and their towels discarded in a damp heap, Lois jumped back into his arms and proceeded to kiss him senseless. He had the presence of mind, just barely, to walk them to the bed and when he felt his shins bump the side of the mattress he broke their kiss only long enough to make sure he dropped her safely into the middle of the bed before the momentum of her weight carried him down after her.

He caught his own weight on his forearms as she wasted little time in pitching her hips up against his, her patience for the delay at an end. The insistant call of her body to his had him slipping inside moments later and they quickly found their rhythm; as they always did.

And when he promised her that they could still be downstairs in time to listen to Bob Hope as she'd wanted to, she gave him a puzzled look.

"Bob _who_?"

Clark couldn't help but wonder the next afternoon, as he waited for Lex, if his need to make love to Lois so often was natural. And as he sat in the cramped and stuffy visiting room at the Kansas State Penitentiary, his mind wandered back to the previous evening.

They'd never made it downstairs to listen to Bob Hope's _Pepsodent Show _or heard his father come upstairs because they'd been so focused on each other.

He further pondered if their intimacy would have been as passionate if she weren't having a baby. Not just because her body was changing everyday and the evidence of her condition becoming more pronounced, but because there was going to come a point toward the end where they wouldn't be able to make love.

Dr. Francis had forewarned them of this during Lois' last checkup.

They'd been sitting in his office as he assured them both that mother and child were fine and then in his usual blunt manner asked them if the physical changes in Lois had affected their lovemaking.

_Clark felt the rush of heat to his face as Lois carefully studied her hands resting in her lap, her own face flushed. It was one thing to be told about her condition and the health of their baby, but they were always caught off guard when he querried them about their love life._

'_I certainly don't ask this to embarrass you." His tone was serious, almost clinical. "But I have found that the more information expectant mothers and their husbands have about how their lives are effected by a coming baby, the whole experience is a much more fulfilling one for the both of them.'_

_They glanced at each other and Lois shrugged, leaving the talking up to him; and he didn't know how to begin. _

_The doctor could see their discomfort and stepped into the breach, to help._

'_I spoke to Mrs. Kent previously about how the changes she's going through could effect your marital relations.' He offered to them delicately and Clark appreciated his consideration. 'I told her it could hamper them or accelerate them.'_

_How could he tell Lois's doctor that they made love every chance they got? 'We-' He started haltingly and stopped to clear his throat. 'Our-' He cleared his throat again. 'We're not sure if it's because of that, or because we're newly married.'_

'_Accelerated?' He guessed correctly and Clark could only nod. _

'_Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I understand how awkward it is for you to talk about this, but it shouldn't be. You're both young and healthy and obviously very much in love and frequent intercourse is a natural part of married life. So having said that, you need to understand there will come a point near the end of the baby's gestation, Mrs. Kent where it would be inadvisable to continue.'_

_A look of surprise and dismay passed between the two before they faced the doctor, to hear his explanation. _

'_I know it doesn't seem possible at the moment, but by the seventh month or possibly even the eighth, it all depending on how large the baby gets and how you're feeling of course, relations could become uncomfortable.'_

'_Even with the suggestions you gave me?' Lois asked, clearly dismayed._

'_You've discussed it with your husband?' He asked her in return._

'_We've actually tried it.' Clark answered, his voice cracking in mortification at having to admit it._

'_That's good.' Dr. Francis, on the other hand, was unfazed. 'But you have to understand, even that has its limits. Mr. Kent, if you can't support her weight comfortably later on, then it won't be an enjoyable experience. But for now, you can continue on as you were.'_

And they did; often and repeatedly.

A hand on his shoulder brought Clark around from his reverie and he looked up to see a guard standing next to him. "Agent Kent, they're bringing Luthor down now and we're all set."

"Thank you, Sergeant." He nodded in acknowledgement. "And if you wouldn't mind calling me _Mr. _Kent when he gets here, I'd appreciate it."

"He doesn't know you're FBI?" The officer asked quietly.

"As far as I know he doesn't and I'd sure like to keep it that way." He requested.

"Yes, sir."

As the sergeant stepped back behind Clark, to monitor the visit, a loud buzz echoed in the visiting room before he heard the clang of metal doors and then the opening of another. "Prisoner on the deck."

And sporting the same insufferably smug smile he'd had at the Smallville Cemetery, Lex sat down on the other side of the wire partition, separating prisoners and visitors. He was accompanied by another prison guard who took up a similar position behind him. "What a pleasant surprise."

He wasn't about to exchange pleasantries with a man who'd had no compunction about coercing women into prostitution in order for them to keep their jobs. "You called this meeting, Luthor so let's get it over with."

"How is that gorgeous woman who keeps your bed warm?" His eyebrow lifted with a patrician air. "Do you satisfy her enough to keep her there?"

_Lois had warned him._

"Lionel said you had some information that would help me track down the fellow who shot at Lois." Clark cut to the chase. "If you can help me, I'd like to hear it. But if this was just a ploy to get me up here, for whatever cat and mouse game you want to play, you can go to hell."

"I'm already there, Kent." His tone was bored, insolent; much as it had been the day before.

"Living like Al Capone more like." Clark replied. "I don't imagine the other prisoners take too kindly to that."

"The Luthor name has influence, even in here." He said, as though it explained everything. "They may not like it, but they'll do it because I pay them."

_How? Had he smuggled money into prison? _Searches were much too thorough to miss something as easily detectable as cash. His confusion at Lex's statement must have shown because he laughed. "Don't over think it, Kent. You'll never find out how and they'll have to take me out of here in a box before I tell you anything."

_He didn't have time for this. _"The information?"

"Yes, well; down to business I suppose." He sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"And the sooner the better," Clark heard the low voice of the sergeant behind him as he shifted his stance.

_He couldn't agree more. _

"I'm giving you one more opportunity, Luthor before I walk out of here." Clark stood up, his arms folded across his chest. "I've got a job to get back to."

"And which job would that be?" Lex grinned knowingly and Clark's heart skipped a hard beat while his stomach turned over. He couldn't possibly know, _could he_? "Clark Kent, mild-mannered newspaper reporter for _The Daily Planet _or Special Agent Clark J. Kent, hot shot G-man for the Federal Bureau of Investigation?"

He knew, _but how?_

"Conrad Burke has a loose tongue when plied with enough liquor, as you well know and he told me during one of our conversations he had a well-placed contact inside the FBI. Knowing he was going to be investigated, and after generously greasing his contact's palm, he was told that a local boy, that would be _you_, who'd gone to work for the Bureau was being sent home to the local field office to initiate the investigation against him and his dealings with me."

"And?" Clark wasn't about to confirm anything as he sat back down.

"And quite simply, the fellow I hired was supposed to take care of you _and_ Lois Lane. Between _her_ snooping and _your_ investigation, I was looking at serious prison time. But with the both of you out of the way, I would have gotten away scot-free and my father wouldn't have had the leverage to force me into that sting operation.

"That night, as it so happens he went wide shooting at you. And he missed _her _only because you pulled her out of the way." He frowned, an honestly frustrated frown.

'_I'm fine, except for the fact that someone shot at you.'_

_He shook his head. 'I don't think those shots were meant for me.'_

"It was you who called her." Clark knew the voice he'd heard that night sounded familiar. "So you figured you'd scare the hell out of her to get her to stop cooperating and get Burke to use his contact to stall my investigation so you could go on as you had been."

"That _was_ the general idea." He nodded. "But I hadn't counted on the influence Dad still had in Washington, so the whole thing ended up being moot anyway. But it seemed to work out quite well for _you _in the end, though didn't it? You get to bed that voluptuous songbird every night."

_He certainly did. _

But at that particular moment Clark Kent, FBI Special Agent had Lex backed into a corner and he was so full of himself he didn't realize it. His arrogance in bragging about the night Clark met Lois not only just got Alexander Luthor an attempted murder charge added to his prison sentence, but the further charge of attempted murder of a federal agent. And with the added federal charge, he could very well be transferred to Leavenworth.

"Are we through here?" He examined his fingernails again and looked at Clark. "I don't want to miss _Perry Mason."_

"You're going to need him, Luthor." The guard behind Lex spoke up. "You just got yourself more prison time because you've confessed to two counts of attempted murder, one of them of a federal agent."

The look of astonishment that rushed across his face made Clark want to laugh; but just as quickly, the look of surprise became smug. "You can't prove it."

"You just admitted to three witnesses, one of them the intended target, that you contracted someone to kill two people." Clark leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table in front of him.

"And if you'd bothered to pay attention to the warnings when you walked in here," The guard behind Clark pointed to a sign over his shoulder and indicated another behind Lex's. "You would have kept your trap shut because all conversations in the visiting room are monitored and recorded."

"This means we have, in your own words, a confession to arranging the attempted murder of me and my wife." _Don't gloat, Clark._

"She wasn't your wife at the time." Lex seemed sure he had the upper hand.

"True," Clark answered curtly. "But she is now."

"This is entrapment." His calm veneer slipped. Lex may have been an arrogant ass, but he wasn't stupid.

"Nothing was coerced, Luthor." The guard behind him smiled. "You provided the information all on your own."

"I want my lawyer." He fixed Clark with a steady look before he stood up. "I'm done talking."

"What about the shooter?" Clark also stood.

"I've told you all I know, Kent." Lex shook his head as though to say, _'Poor sap.' _"Guard, I'd like to go back to my cell now."

"Are you sure about that?"

"About telling you all I know or wanting to go back to my cell?" He chuckled and Clark wanted to reach through the partition and throttle him. But he'd promised Lois he wouldn't do anything rash, even if provoked. But as it turned out the guard escorting Lex, chided him.

"Don't be an ass, Luthor; just answer the man's question."

"I've told him everything I know, so I'd like to go back now." He repeated, visibly annoyed. "And get my lawyer up here, _yesterday_."

"You can call him yourself on the way back to your cell." He was told before taken by the arm and lead out of the room.

Clark sighed as he was escorted out of the visitor's door and down the hallway to the visitor's desk, where he would sign out and turn in his pass. And when he got home, he was going to indulge in a long, hot shower to try and wash off the past hour.

While he'd gotten the closest thing to a confession he was going to get as to what happened to Lois and him that night a year and a half ago, he still wasn't any closer to finding the fellow who was hired to carry out the order.

He might never be found and Clark was probably going to have to accept it.

"Hey, Duke! Gate Four, we've got a visitor going out." The guard stopped and held out his hand, which Clark took in a firm grasp and the two men shook hands. A loud buzz reverberated through the corridor as the gate unlocked with a metallic click. "It was nice meeting you, Agent Kent. We don't get many of you FBI boys here too often, we mostly see fellows from the KBI."

"This visit wasn't strictly business." Clark told him as the gate opened and he walked through before it was closed again, the guard on the other side.

"Luthor is rotten to the core, that's for sure." He nodded his understanding. "He doesn't know it yet, but we're moving him to solitary later this afternoon because someone in here thinks he is, too."

The unexpected news got Clark's attention. "Attempts have been made on his life?"

"A few; so far we've been able to put the kibosh on them before anything gets carried out, but-" The guard frowned and shook his head. "He seems oblivious to the fact there's a pecking order here."

"He's not oblivious, he just doesn't care."

"Well, it's going to get him killed, so that's why the warden decided to move him. We'd like Mr. Luthor to finish his extended stay with us alive and healthy so we can walk him out of here on his own two feet, not driven out in a hearse."

"After what he said this afternoon, he'll probably be staying with you a lot longer than he anticipated." Clark indulged in a laugh and it felt good.

"As long as it's solitary confinement, I won't mind." The guard laughed as well before he turned and walked back up the hall, whistling. He laughed again, because unless he missed his guess, the good sergeant was whistling "Mairzy Doats".

And as he turned in his visitor's badge, walked out of the prison and pulled in a deep breath of the clean, fresh air when he got outside; he found himself humming the same tune, too as he walked to his car:

Mairzy doats and dozy doats  
And liddle lamzy divey  
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?  
Yes! Mairzy doats and dozy doats  
and liddle lamzy divey  
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?

If the words sound queer  
And funny to your ear,  
A little bit jumbled and jivey  
Sing "Mares eat oats  
And does eat oats  
And little lambs eat ivy"

Oh! Mairzy doats and dozy doats  
And liddle lamzy divey  
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?  
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?

The day hadn't turned out so badly after all.

**TBC soon, I hope.**


	16. The March of Time

While I continue to work on **Bundle of Joy**, here is a chapter I'd held in reserve for when I was ready to start up again. I've no guarantees when the next chapter will be posted, but it won't be another year and a half, either.

Enjoy! Irish Rose

* * *

She could see something weighed on his mind, but Lois didn't know how to help.

With the recent installation of the Roll Call of Honor in front of Town Hall, which listed the young men of Smallville who had died overseas and the _Ledger_ printing their names in the War News section on page two, Clark had become increasingly thoughtful and restless.

She was certain it didn't have anything to do with Lex Luthor. With his inadvertent confession to Clark at the penitentiary, he'd found himself with ten years added to his sentence for conspiracy to murder a federal agent and a swift transfer to Leavenworth.

At last report from Lionel, Lex's days of emulating Al Capone had come to an abrupt end and it was no more than he deserved.

No, Clark's restiveness seemed to begin after he'd run into two high school buddies home on leave. They'd crossed paths at the feed store one Saturday early in June and over coffee and pie at O'Brien's, recounted how they joined the Navy following Pearl Harbor. They'd described, in vivid detail the damage still visible when they arrived at their new post on Oahu in early 1942.

They'd talked about the smell of diesel fuel still hanging heavy in the air and seeing the remains of the _Arizona _first hand when they were ferried to Ford Island. The mortally wounded _Utah_ still rested nearby where she'd been towed closer to shore after rolling over, to keep the channel clear during the attack.

Rescue efforts had long given way to salvage efforts as ships were pulled out of the harbor and put into dry dock. Clark's friends told him about the eerie silence as the men went about their work, trying to undo as much of the damage the Japs had caused and getting the fleet sea-worthy again as quickly as possible.

They were salvaging and repairing among the men entombed in both shipsand felt they deserved the reverent quiet in light of their sacrifice, the two new ensigns had been told.

Lois would have liked the chance to meet the two men, good friends from her husband's boyhood, but Martha and Lydia had persuaded her to enter her apple turnovers in the baking contest at the Lowell County Fair. So she'd been home that day, up to her elbows in flour.

As a result, on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the end of June, she'd found herself corralled with other Smallville wives at the fairgrounds to await the decision on the best baked goods.

To tell the truth, she would rather have been anywhere else instead of on display, especially as rounded as she'd become. It must've shown on her face because her mother-in-law kept encouraging her to smile. Martha, Jonathan, the General and Clark stood in the crowd to wait with Lydia and Ed Carmichael for the verdict, and as the third-place winner was announced, Lois felt the baby move.

It was unmistakable and her eyes immediately found Clark's because it wasn't a flutter or a flap of butterfly wings this time, but honest to God movement that he should be able to feel.

In the last couple of months the activity of her little sprout had become so frequent even _she_ knew baby Kent was moving, but still not strongly enough for Clark to feel and she was sure this time he could. But being surrounded by a large group of people as they were, it wasn't the best time to grab for his hand and place it over their energetic offspring.

Clark seemed to understand her predicament because she watched his hands ball up into fists. His evident frustration showed in his rigid stance and his flushed face had nothing to do with the warm afternoon. And as much as he might have wanted to, he wasn't about to embarrass her or their parents by doing something as bold as shouldering his way through the crowd to feel his baby moving.

The two of them had so much of her focus she didn't hear the name of the second place winner announced. But from Martha's reaction, Lois knew she would either take home a first prize ribbon or the remnants of her turnovers. It really didn't matter, she just wanted her husband near so she could share the moment with him.

Unfortunately, the moment passed and she must have telegraphed it to Clark because his deflated expression telegraphed back his own disappointment. But their disappointment was tempered with the announcement of the first prize to Mrs. Clark Kent for her exceptional apple turnovers.

_Were those judges serious? _

Even after she had the First Place ribbon in her hand and the twenty-five dollar prize money, a hug from her mother-in-law and hearty congratulations from the Carmichael's, Lois found it difficult to believe that _her_ apple turnovers had been judged to be the best of the competition. Lois Joanne Kent was all thumbs when it came to making her way around a kitchen, it didn't matter what some dopey judge said.

"Hell's Bell's, Lo." Her father grinned at her before he got an arm around her shoulders and admired the blue ribbon. "First prize for my first-born."

"And you still insist you're not very good in the kitchen." Jonathan smiled at her, looking rather pleased himself. "I think that prize you just won says otherwise."

"It means those judges have been out in the sun too long." She rolled her eyes as Clark walked over to her.

"It means you underestimate yourself." He leaned close to her ear and his warm breath sent a thrill of awareness down to her toes. And then with his body blocking hers from view of their family, to give them a modicum of privacy, his hand curved around her belly. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"Me, too," She whispered back. "Maybe later."

"I'm counting on it." He caught her eye with a smile and kissed her. Not in the way she'd hoped, as he'd done at the barn-raising, but she felt the impact of his gentle kiss just the same.

"You're very good at that." She remarked and felt her face flush.

"Why do you think I do it?" He flashed an impish grin and kissed her nose before stepping back to take her hand.

The other wives took their turns congratulating Lois and their sincerity made her eyes tear. A few even asked her for her recipe, as they'd had the chance to sample the turnovers as well.

"Welcome to Smallville, honey." Clark stood proudly next to her as the last of the wives melted into the crowd with their own families.

"I guess that means I'm stuck here, huh?" She looked up and him with a teasing tone in her voice.

"As long as it's with me, I don't think you'll mind too much." He gave her hand a squeeze. "Will you?"

"Can I get back to you on that?" She laughed because _he_ rolled his eyes with feigned exasperation.

"How about we get you home?" Martha interrupted their gentle teasing with a look of genuine concern. "You look like you're starting to wilt."

She was living in a house full of mother hens, but Lois didn't really mind. To have the people she loved concerned about her meant so much. She _was_ getting used to it, even though it still nagged at her from time to time because Lane's could take care of themselves.

But as she still reminded herself every so often, she wasn't a Lane anymore - which was fine with her.

Becoming a Kent, and even before then, she'd finally been able set down deep roots because she'd found a man who'd given her a sense of permanence. And now that they _were_ married and she in the family way, Lois was not only making a home for them, but giving the baby two strong families to rely on as he _or_ she grew up.

This meant her father had to come through the war once he got sent overseas.

Lois wasn't a girl to frighten easily, but if she lost her father now, after they'd slowly rebuilt their relationship and strengthened their once tenuous bond, it would devastate her. Her baby had to have the chance to know Grandpa Sam, to have the chance to grow up with his gruff affection and dry sense of humor.

It had taken her so long to see how much he really did love her and Lucy and she found with the baby coming, she needed him more than she ever thought she would. And before she had the chance to think through her actions, Lois had her arms around her father and held him tight.

She'd obviously taken him by surprise because she felt him start, but he quickly recovered and got his arms around her. "Hey, what's this?"

Dad's voice held a note of humor in it, but when she looked up at him, he looked unduly concerned. "Can't a girl hug her father if she feels like it?"

"Sure she can." He seemed to know why when he replied. "But I would hope it's not because she's worried about something we can't do anything about."

"So what if she is?" She frowned, not wanting to come out and actually say it.

"How about she stops talking so we can get her home?" Dad gently chided her.

"Another mother hen," She quipped and he only smiled.

"And happy to be," He assured her with a gentle grip on her shoulder before he took her hand and gave it to Clark, who clasped it firmly in his. "Why don't you let this young fellow walk you to the car so he can protect that loot you're carrying?"

_He was true to form. _

"Thanks for the concern, Dad." Lois gave him a pointed look and he just chuckled.

"Have you thought about what you're going to _do_ with twenty-five dollars?" Lydia Carmichael asked her, trying not to smile at her exasperated tone.

"I was thinking we could buy a war bond," Lois looked at Clark. "For the baby."

"I think the baby would appreciate it." He smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. "The boys overseas will, too."

"We have to do our part, so this little one doesn't have to face the possibility of going to war." She put her hand on her abdomen. "We have to get this business settled so our little squirt can live in a world without war."

"Well said, Lois." Martha nodded her approval. "Because I don't like the idea of my first grandchild having to face what our young men are facing now."

"And I'd rather not face an anxious cow that needs to be milked, so let's head out." Jonathan remarked in a joking manner, but Lois recognized his subtle effort to steer the conversation away from war talk. There had already been countless conversations at the dinner table, with Clark getting more agitated each time.

Ed Carmichael chuckled and put a hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "You don't want to keep the lady waiting."

As the older folks set off toward the main gate of the fairgrounds, Clark held Lois back for a moment, presumably so they could have some time to themselves. And with the opportunity given her, she wanted to find out what had recently been on the mind of her handsome husband. "Between seeing your friends and going back to the field office, you've been more pensive than usual."

She thought he would try to deny it, but the tension in his hand gave him away. "You know I've always been proud of my job as an agent," He began quietly, looking around to see if anyone had heard him. "Because I've always felt I'm serving my country. But then I run into fellows like Harry and George-"

"Your Navy buddies?"

He nodded and he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I run into them and I see what serving your country really means."

"Sweetheart, you _are_." She put a hand to his cheek. "You're just not doing it overseas." She understood in an instant what he meant and her heart began to thump hard in her chest. "You want to enlist, don't you?

"I didn't say that." He sounded defensive and Lois knew she was right.

"You didn't _have_ to," She grasped his chin, the way she'd seen his mother do so often to get his undivided attention. "Clark, if you want to enlist, I'll stand by you." _And she meant it_. "I'd just like you to wait until the baby comes because the FBI keeps you away from me enough as it is." And then baby Kent kicked her, hard. "Oooh!"

"Lois?" He looked down at her stomach and his tanned face lost some of its summer color.

"Come with me, buster." She grabbed Clark by the wrist to lead him away from the main foot path. When the baby kicked again, Lois put her other hand on her belly and gently chided her unborn child as she rubbed the spot where she could have sworn she'd just seen the brief imprint of a tiny foot. "Will you stop that? Daddy's not going anywhere just yet."

"Was that-" He glanced down at her stomach again.

"I believe that was your baby expressing their opinion on the matter." She pulled him behind a small clapboard building and dropped his arm. "And if that kick means anything, we're going to have a strong-willed child."

"Just like their mother, I'd say."

"You're strong-willed in your own way, you know." Lois observed with a smile. "If you hadn't been, we wouldn't be here."

"That's because once I kissed you, I knew I couldn't let you go." He made an observation of his own before he gathered her into his arms and kissed her, with baby Kent wedged in between them. It was the kind of kiss he usually reserved for when they made love - a damp, heated and breath-stealing kiss that made her knees shake terribly and threaten to give way. And if it hadn't been for the baby's sudden movement, they very well might have.

Clark pulled back, his arms still around her, looking astounded. His dark hair was tousled, from Lois's fingers having rearranging it, while his blue eyes sparkled with passion and surprise. "Honey?"

It took Lois a couple of tries to clear her throat as she toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. "You felt that?"

He blinked a few times before taking one of his hands from around her waist to put it on her rounded belly. The baby moved again and his eyes glassed over with tears and he shook his head. She understood how he felt, it had been a little overwhelming for her, too, the first time she'd felt their baby move.

He nodded slightly before kissing her again, his hand caressing her gently.

"There _are_ beds for that sort of thing, you know." A humorous observation startled Lois and broke the couple apart. "Though from the looks of it, you already found one."

Clark's face turned the color of a ripe tomato, but he didn't apologize for being caught as he smiled. "I was congratulating my wife for winning first prize."

"That would explain it." The stranger grinned at them, even as his voice held a note of gentle reproof. "But if I were you, I'd get on home before you cause a stir because someone's looking for the necessary and finds _you_ instead."

"We have a habit of doing that." Lois smiled with embarrassment and tucked herself into Clark's side.

"I was young once." His nodded, but stood his ground. "But seeing as how part of my job here is to make sure young couples such as yourself don't get carried away, I'm asking you to find your way back to the main path."

"Yes, sir." Clark slipped his hand around Lois's as they were led back out to the main walkway. When they had gotten a few feet up the path, she saw their parents and the Carmichael's waiting for them at the main gate.

"You think they know what we were doing?" Lois looked up at her husband, her cheeks warm and his face was flushed.

"I _know_ they know what we were doing." He laughed softly and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "They were newlyweds, too."

They picked up their pace, just a little and finally joined the waiting group.

"We were starting to wonder if we were going to have to send out a search party for you." Dad quipped. "We were concerned you might have gotten lost."

"Just sidetracked." Clark glanced at Lois, a soft smile on his face.

"That tends to happen when you're newly married." Ed Carmichael nodded his head and it looked to Lois as though he tried not to smile as he gave his own wife a meaningful look. "And if you're really lucky, it still happens even after many happy years."

"Edwin Carmichael." Lydia's face bloomed the color of a pink rose as she tried to give him a stern look, and failed. "Honestly."

"Still my blushing bride after all these years." He got an arm around her shoulders and kissed her flushed cheek. "And still as beautiful as the day we said, 'I do'."

Lois had never seen Lydia Carmichael blush before and couldn't help but hope she and Clark would have the same kind of easy relationship that the Carmichael's and her in-law's had after they'd been married for so many years.

She also couldn't help but notice the brief wistful expression that flashed in her father's eyes as he observed them. It was easy to see he still missed her mother.

Jonathan seemed to see it too, because he put a hand on Dad's shoulder. "Sam, come on back to the farm for dinner and we'll make an evening of it."

The General tried to refuse, but Martha wouldn't let him. "We always have plenty to eat and you always say you can't resist my peach cobbler."

"True." He reluctantly agreed.

"And if you're of a mind to, the Hubbard's are having a barn dance tonight." Lydia chimed in with an invitation. "It's always the highlight of the summer."

"What do you say?" Jonathan grinned at him.

"I'd say I'm outnumbered and most definitely outmaneuvered." He shook his head and smiled. "So my only option is surrender."

Not for the first time, Lois wished her father would find someone to fill the empty space her mother's death had left in his heart. He might be a little rough around the edges, but he was a good man and good father and deserved to find happiness with someone as she had with Clark.

"But no matchmaking." He leveled a look at his daughter. _How did he do that? _"If I want to find someone to spend some time with, _I'll _do it."

Lois nodded her agreement, but what her father didn't seem to realize was that there were four other people who had not. And between the good intentions of Martha, Lydia, Jonathan and Ed, he might not have a choice.

And that was all right with her.


End file.
